Category: Assam Current Affairs

Assam Current Affairs – March 22 – 28, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – March 22 - 28, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of March 22 – 28, 2020 )

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MARCH 22, 2020

Assam cabinet approve Assam Elementary and Secondary School Teachers (Regulations of Posting and Transfer) Bill, 2020

  • The Assam state cabinet approved the Assam Elementary and Secondary School Teachers (Regulations of Posting and Transfer) Bill, 2020.

  • The bill seeks to fix posting tenures of teachers in a bid to rationalise their deployment in schools.
  • As per the bill, there will be an online system, in which a teacher will apply for transfer after completion of 10 years of service and it will be considered on merit.
  • A Teachers Accountability Commission will be setup. Anyone violating this act will be punished with three years of imprisonment.
  • The cabinet also approved The Assamese Language Learning Bill, 2020, which aims to make Assamese a compulsory subject in all schools — government and non-government — across Assam. However, the schools in the Barak Valley, BTAD and also the two Hill districts where Assamese will not be a compulsory subject.
  • The cabinet further gave its nod to the Guwahati Building Byelaws, which will enable construction of ground-plus-two-storey houses under Chief Minister’s housing scheme.
  • The cabinet also gave its nod to the bills to create four autonomous councils – Kamatapur, Motock, Moran and Bodo-Kachari.
  • To ensure VAT exemption to BCPL for fifteen years, the State government will spend Rs 1,714 crore, the cabinet further decided.

Union Cabinet approved a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for promoting domestic manufacturing of medical devices

  • Union Cabinet has approved a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for promoting domestic manufacturing of medical devices, with financial implications of Rs 3,420 crore.
  • The Cabinet also approved another promotion of medical device parks scheme worth Rs 400 crore for financing common infrastructure facilities in four medical device parks.
  • The expenditure to be incurred for the said schemes will be for the next five years i.e. from 2020-21 to 2024-25.
  • Under the sub-scheme for promotion of medical device parks, common infrastructure facilities would be created in four medical device parks, which is expected to reduce manufacturing cost of medical devices in the country.
  • The PLI scheme for promoting domestic manufacturing of medical devices would boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in the medical device sector, particularly in the identified target segments.
  • It will lead to expected incremental production of Rs 68,437 crore over a period of five years.
Cabinet approved signing of an extradition treaty between India and Belgium
  • The Cabinet approved signing of an extradition treaty between India and Belgium. The treaty would provide a legal framework for seeking extradition of terrorists, economic offenders and other criminals from and to Belgium.
  • The new treaty will replace the pre-Independence extradition treaty between Great Britain and Belgium that was made applicable to India through the exchange of letters in 1958 and is currently in force between India and Belgium.
  • Under the new treaty, each party will agree to extradite any person found in its territory accused or convicted of an extraditable offence in the territory of the other party.
  • An extraditable offence means an offence punishable under the laws of both the parties with imprisonment for a period of one year or more severe punishment.
  • Under the treaty, when extradition of a convicted person is sought, the duration of the sentence remaining to be served must be at least six months at the time of making the request.
  • Offences relating to taxation or revenue or one of a fiscal character also fall within the scope of this treaty.
  • The extradition can be refused if the offence is a political or military offence. It, however, specifies certain offences which will not be considered as political offences.
  • The request will not be entertained if it is for the purpose of prosecuting or punishing the person on account of his race, sex, religion, nationality or political opinion.
  • Extradition of nationals is discretionary. The nationality will be determined at the time the offence was committed.

FACTFILE – Belgium

  • The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in Western Europe. It is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the southwest, and the North Sea to the northwest.
  • It is a sovereign state and a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system.
  • It covers an area of 30,689 km2 and has a population of more than 1.15 crore, making it the 6th most densely populated country in Europe.
  • The capital and largest city is Brussels.

AYUSH Health and Wellness Centre (HWCs) component of Ayushman Bharat to be included in National AYUSH Mission (NAM)

  • The proposal entails an expenditure of Rs 3399.35 crore for operationalization of AYUSH HWCs within a period of five years, from financial years 2019-20 to 2023-24.
  • The operationalization of HWCs component under NAM will achieve objectives such as establishment of a holistic wellness model based on AYUSH principles and practices focusing on preventive promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative healthcare by integration with the existing public health care system.
  • It will also provide informed choice to the public by making the AYUSH services available.
  • The services include community awareness about lifestyle, diet, Yoga, medicinal plants and provision of medicines for selected conditions as per the strength of AYUSH systems.
  • The Ministry of AYUSH, in consultation with States and Union Territories, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and other line Ministries has also proposed models for operationalization of 12,500 AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres across the country.
  • Approximately 10,000 dispensaries and 2,500 sub-health centres (SHCs) will be upgraded.
  • It will enhance accessibility to achieve universal health coverage for affordable treatment, reduce the burden on secondary and tertiary health care facilities.

Union Cabinet cleared incentive schemes of Rs 48,000 crore to boost electronics manufacturing

  • The Union Cabinet has cleared three schemes involving a total incentive of around Rs 48,000 crore to boost electronics manufacturing in the country.
  • Government is expecting to generate manufacturing revenue potential of Rs 10 lakh crore and create direct and indirect jobs for 20 lakh people by 2025 through these schemes.
  • The Cabinet also approved incentives for medical devices to reduce dependency on import of electronic products for medical care in the country.
  • Under the scheme, electronic manufacturing companies will get an incentive of 4 to 6 per cent on incremental sales of goods manufactured in India and covered under target segments, to eligible companies over a period of next 5 years.
  • The Cabinet approved scheme for promotion of manufacturing of electronics components and semiconductors with a budget outlay of Rs 3,285 crore spread over a period of 8 years.
  • It also approved revised version for electronics manufacturing clusters with a total incentive outlay of Rs 3,762.25 crore spread over a period of 8 years with an objective to create 10 lakh direct and indirect jobs under the scheme.
MARCH 23, 2020
Union Cabinet cleared incentive schemes of Rs 48,000 crore to boost electronics manufacturing
  • The Union Cabinet has cleared three schemes involving a total incentive of around Rs 48,000 crore to boost electronics manufacturing in the country.
  • Government is expecting to generate manufacturing revenue potential of Rs 10 lakh crore and create direct and indirect jobs for 20 lakh people by 2025 through these schemes.
  • The Cabinet also approved incentives for medical devices to reduce dependency on import of electronic products for medical care in the country.
  • Under the scheme, electronic manufacturing companies will get an incentive of 4 to 6 per cent on incremental sales of goods manufactured in India and covered under target segments, to eligible companies over a period of next 5 years.
  • The Cabinet approved scheme for promotion of manufacturing of electronics components and semiconductors with a budget outlay of Rs 3,285 crore spread over a period of 8 years.
  • It also approved revised version for electronics manufacturing clusters with a total incentive outlay of Rs 3,762.25 crore spread over a period of 8 years with an objective to create 10 lakh direct and indirect jobs under the scheme.
Bengaluru Salem students create apps to help tackle COVID-19
  • Engineering students of Sona College of Technology, Salem and engineers from Vee Technologies, Bengaluru on Saturday announced they have created two apps to help the country tackle the growing new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
  • One app called ‘Corona-Scan’ proactively allows public health officials to map individuals who were in close proximity with a possibly infected or active coronavirus patient.
  • The second is a corresponding user app, ‘Corona-Support,’ that asks the public for their voluntary registration.
  • If an individual tests positive a voluntary status update can be entered in the app, helping health authorities and experts tracking the spread of the virus get accurate information.
  • By tracking and recording people within 3 to 5 metres every two minutes, the ‘Carona-Scan’ app generates live data of people in close proximity to one another.
  • By mapping people who may have been infected and risk infecting others, public health officials can identify and take appropriate action to connect with them over the phone and keep them under observation, isolation or recommend testing.
Tamil Nadu to reserve medical college seats for govt school students
  • Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami said the government will reserve certain percentage of medical college seats for students from government schools who clear the entrance exams.
  • A special law will be brought by the government to reserve seats for students who had cleared the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) after studying in government schools from 1st to 12th standard.
  • TN CM Palaniswami also said the government will appoint Commission headed by a retired High Court judge to gather data and statistics for bringing in the law and make necessary recommendations in this connection.
  • The Commission will also study the reasons for government school students for joining medical college in low numbers and recommend the action to be taken.

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MARCH 24, 2020
Assam making 20,000 isolation beds available
  • Assam State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the State, in its effort to prepare for COVID 19 outbreak, is trying to make 20,000 isolation beds available.
  • Addressing the State Legislative Assembly, Sarma said that the month of April and May would be a challenging one for the State since it is also the time when cases of Japanese Encephalitis, which has higher mortality rate.
  • He further informed that along with the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital and Sonapur civil hospital, the State Government has also decided to turn Singimari hospital into a set-up dedicated to Corona.
  • The Health Minister while laying special onus on a private-public partnership to deal with the health emergency, informed that the Government’s flagship scheme – Atal-Amrit Health Card – which earlier covered five major ailments, will now cover all the diseases.
  • As far as providing financial assistance to the low income groups or daily wage earners is concerned, we do not have an extensive mechanism in place. The State Government could access bank accounts of around 40 lakh people including daily wage earners and members of the low income groups who have been covered under schemes like Ujala which could be used for the it.
Lok Sabha passes Finance Bill 2020
  • The Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill, 2020 by voice vote, The Bill gives effect to the financial proposals of the Central government for the financial year 2020-21.
  • In the Union Budget 2020-2021, the government proposed to spend Rs 30,42,230 crore in 2020-21, which is 12.7 per cent higher than the revised estimate of 2019-20.
  • The receipts are expected to increase by 16.3 per cent to Rs 22,45,893 crore, owing to higher estimated revenue from disinvestments.
  • The government has assumed a nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 10 per cent in 2020-21. The nominal growth estimate for 2019-20 was 12 per cent.

FACTFILE – Finance Bill

  • As per Article 110 of the Constitution of India, the Finance Bill is a Money Bill. The Finance Bill is a part of the Union Budget, stipulating all the legal amendments required for the changes in taxation proposed by the Finance Minister.
  • It is an umbrella legislation which encompasses all amendments required in various laws pertaining to tax, in accordance with the tax proposals made in the Union Budget.
  • The Finance Bill, as a Money Bill, needs to be passed by the Lok Sabha — the lower house of the Parliament. Post the Lok Sabha’s approval, the Finance Bill becomes Finance Act.

Point2Remeber – Difference between Money Bill and Finance Bill

  • A Money Bill has to be introduced in the Lok Sabha as per Section 110 of the Constitution.
  • It is sent to the Rajya Sabha for its recommendations. The Rajya Sabha has to return the Bill with recommendations in 14 days.
  • Article 117 of the Constitution categorically lays down that a Bill pertaining to sub-clauses (a) to (f) of clause (1) shall not be introduced or moved except with the President’s recommendation.
  • The bill that makes such provisions shall not be introduced in the Rajya Sabha.
National Supercomputing Mission to develop more computing power
  • The National Supercomputing Mission was set up to provide the country with supercomputing infrastructure to meet the increasing computational demands of academia, researchers, MSMEs, and startups by creating the capability design, manufacturing, of supercomputers indigenously in India.
  • A first of its kind attempt to boost the country’s computing power, the National Super Computing Mission is steered jointly by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) and Department of Science and Technology (DST) and implemented by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. 
  • The target of the mission was set to establish a network of supercomputers ranging from a few Tera Flops (TF) to Hundreds of Tera Flops (TF) and three systems with greater than or equal to 3 Peta Flops (PF) in academic and research institutions of National importance across the country by 2022.
  • This network of Supercomputers envisaging a total of 15-20 PF was approved in 2015 and was later revised to a total of 45 PF (45000 TFs), a jump of 6 times more compute power within the same cost and capable of solving large and complex computational problems. 
  • 11 new systems are likely to be set up in different IITs, NITs, National Labs, and IISERs across India by December this year, which will have many sub-systems manufactured and microprocessors designed in India which will bring in a cumulative capacity of 10.4 petaflops.

MARCH 25, 2020

NE’s first COVID-19 case reported in Manipur
  • The first COVID-19 case was reported in Manipur today, official sources said. It is also the first positive case of novel coronavirus in the Northeast.
  • Director of Health Services, Manipur, Dr K Rajo Singh in a press release said one 23-year-old Manipuri person returning from the United Kingdom has tested positive
Complete Nationwide Lockdown for 21 Days to combat coronavirus outbreak
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a complete lockdown across the country for 21 days from 24th March midnight, asserting that social distancing is the only way out for the country to fight a decisive battle against coronavirus outbreak.
  • Modi made a fervent appeal to the countrymen not to cross the ‘lakshman rekha’ of their homes in the next three weeks.
  • He said, if the situation is not handled in these 21 days, the country and your family could go back by 21 years. If situation is not handled in these 21 days, several families will get devastated forever
  • The Centre and state governments have taken measures to ensure that the supply of all essential items continue smoothly.
  • Separately, the government issued detailed guidelines about the restrictions, along with certain exemptions.
Vivaad Se Vishwas direct tax scheme extended till June 30
  • The government has extended durations of the dispute settlement schemes for direct taxes (Vivaad Se Vishwas) and indirect taxes (Sabka Vishwas) till June 30.
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said under the ”Vivaad Se Vishwas” scheme, 10 per cent additional charge would not be levied till June 30.
  • The scheme in its earlier version provided complete waiver of interest and penalty for payments made by March 31 and involved settlement with additional payment of 10 per cent between April 1 and June 30.

  • The Direct Tax Vivaad Se Vishwas Bill 2020 intends to resolve direct tax disputes and offers a waiver of interest, penalty and prosecution for settlement of these disputes.

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MARCH 26, 2020

SEBA online classes for Class X students

  • In an attempt to compensate for the losses of academic days of students who would sit for their HSLC exams next year, SEBA has launched online classes through YouTube for students of Class X standard.

  • Lectures of subjects English, Mathematics and Science would be uploaded through YouTube videos every day in Assamese, English and Bodo languages so that maximum number of students can keep themselves updated during the lockdown period.

  • Students would get intimated about the video upload through SMSes on their mobile numbers registered in the Board database.

  • The digital materials of the current curriculum are being uploaded in YouTube by SIQUES EDUAID LLP in association with the SEBA.

  • Approximately 4.5 lakh students would sit for their Board examination next year. Initially the curriculum of February and March would be covered through the videos.

  • As in case of any YouTube video, the SEBA video contents would be available for repeat playing. In the comment section, the students can ask their questions and get their queries answered by the teachers.

Union Cabinet approved MoU between India and Germany for technological cooperation in railway
  • Union Cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding signed between India and Germany for technological cooperation in the railway sector.
  • The Cabinet was apprised of a MoU signed between Ministry of Railways with DB Engineering and Consulting GMBH of Germany for technological cooperation in railways.
  • India and Germany had signed the MoU in February this year for technological cooperation in railway sector that will enable cooperation in freight operations, passenger operations, infrastructure building and management.
  • The MoU will also help the Indian Railways in development of a modern, competitive railway organisation, IT solutions for railway operations, marketing and sales as well as administrative purposes, predictive maintenance, private train operations and any other areas which may be mutually agreed in writing between the two sides.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved recapitalisation of RRBs with Rs 1,340 crore
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the recapitalisation of regional rural banks with total outlay of Rs 1,340 crore, to improve their capital adequacy during the coronavirus crisis.
  • Out of the total approved Rs 1,340 crore, the Central government will infuse Rs 670 crore and the rest would be put in by the state government and other sponsoring banks.
  • The government has off late announced a slew of measures to provide relief to the general public and businesses in terms of regulatory compliances, including deferment of deadlines for IT and GST return filings.
WHO partners Microsoft, Facebook for global coronavirus hackathon
  • The World Health Organisation (WHO) has partnered with tech giants like Facebook and Microsoft for a global hackathon, asking developers to build software solutions that drive social impact, with the aim of tackling some of the challenges related to the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
  • Along with Facebook and Microsoft, tech companies Twitter, WeChat, TikTok, Pinterest and Slack are also participating in the hackathon.
  • The #BuildforCOVID19 hackathon would begin accepting project submissions.
  • Given the isolation currently being experienced within communities right now, we want to create an online space where developers could ideate, experiment and build software solutions to help address this crisis.

MARCH 27, 2020

Installation of supercomputing facility at IIT Guwahati got approved

  • The Technical Advisory Committee of National Supercomputing Mission (MSM-TAC) has approved the installation of a supercomputing facility of the compute power of 650 TF (approximately 838 TF peak, 70:30 CPU and GPU Hybrid Supercomputing System) at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG).
  • The Department of Science and Technology (DST), along with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), is coordinating the mission and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune, and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, are the implementing agencies of the mission.
  • This new hybrid supercomputing system will not only boost the HPC usages and research environment in the institute but also enhance the research capability of the North East, since around 40 per cent of the compute power will be allocated to the external users as per the guidelines approved by the NSM-TAC.
  • This also aligns with the policy of IIT Guwahati to build a ‘Network of Excellence’ among the institutes of Northeastern region.
Rs 1.7 lakh crore stimulus to help poor hit by lockdown
  • Central government announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore stimulus that included free foodgrain and cooking gas to poor for three months, and cash doles to women and poor senior citizens as it looked to ease the economic impact of the nationwide lockdown.
  • While over 80 crore poor ration card holders will each get 5 kg of wheat or rice, and 1 kg of preferred pulses free of cost every month for the next three months, 20.4 crore women having Jan Dhan bank accounts would get one-time cash help of Rs 1,500 spread over three months.
  • Over 8.3 crore poor women, who were handed out free cooking gas connections since 2016, will get free LPG refills for the next three months, while poor senior citizens, widows and disabled will get an ex gratia cash of Rs 1,000.
  • The package included advancing the payment of one-third of the Rs 6,000 a year pre-2019 general election cash dole scheme for farmers, government contributions to retirement funds for the next three months of small companies with 90 per cent of staff earning less than Rs 15,000, and a Rs 50 lakh insurance cover to healthcare workers.
  • For rural workers, the daily wage under the MNREGA employment guarantee programme has been increased to Rs 202 from Rs 182, benefiting five crore workers of about Rs 2,000 in all.
  • Rs 50 lakh insurance cover for healthcare workers fighting COVID-19; 22 lakh people to be covered under the scheme
  • 80 crore poor people to get 5 kg wheat or rice and 1 kg of preferred pulses for free every month over the next three months
  • 20 crore women Jan Dhan account holders to get Rs 500 per month for next three months
  • Increase in MNREGA wage to Rs 202 a day from Rs 182; to benefit 13.62 crore families
  • An ex-gratia of Rs 1,000 to 3 crore poor senior citizen, poor widows and poor disabled
  • To front-load Rs 2,000 payment to farmers in first week of April under existing PM Kisan Yojana to benefit 8.7 crore farmers
  • Free gas cylinders will be provided under PM Ujjwala Yojana to 8 crore poor families for the next three months
  • PF contribution to be paid for next three months for workers earning below Rs 15,000 per month in units having less than 100 workers.
Apollo Hospitals launches ”Project Kavach” to fight pandemic
  • Apollo Hospitals Group announced a new initiative called ”Project Kavach (shield), a comprehensive and integrated response plan to fight the COVID-19 disease.
  • Apollo Hospitals Group, they have specially designed an AI-based Coronavirus Risk Assessment scan for screening and initial assessment, which is available in the form of an app and on the website (https://covid.apollo247.com/).
  • The Risk assessment scan, which is available in 6 regional languages, will guide individuals about the potential risk of having the Virus through simple interactive questions.
  • According to the hospital, the digital app also offers virtual and telephony consultation with facility to tele-connect with all doctors at Apollo Hospitals enabling patients to seek healthcare while staying at home.

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MARCH 28, 2020

Home delivery of essential items through online service in Meghalaya

    • Amid the ongoing lockdown across the country to check spread of COVID-19, the Meghalaya Government launched an online platform, store.meghamart.com, for home delivery of essential commodities.

    • People in Tura, Garo Hills, Jowai and Jaintia Hills will be able to access the service of the online delivery platform from March 28.
    • esides, meghabazzar.com, IEW (app on Google Play Store), narifresh.com and syllad.com are additional digital platforms to buy essentials.
    • Big retail stores like Vishal Mega Mart and some local entrepreneurs have also been roped in to deliver essential commodities at people’s doorsteps.

    • Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has cautioned the people against overcrowding during the curfew relaxation hours.

Union Govt approves Rs 5,751 crore for 8 disaster-hit states
      • The Centre decided to provide additional assistance of Rs 5,751.27 crore to eight states who faced disasters such as landslides, floods, drought and cyclone during 2019.
      • The decision was taken in a High Level Committee (HLC) under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
      • The committee approved additional Central assistance under National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to Bihar, Kerala, Nagaland, Odisha, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Karnataka, which were affected by floods, landslides, cyclone and drought during 2019.
      • The HLC approved additional Central assistance of Rs 5751.27 crore to eight States from NDRF subject to the adjustment of 50 per cent of balances available in the SDRF account as on April 1 of the financial year.
        • Of the Rs 5,751.27 crore, a total of Rs 953.17 crore has been allocated to Bihar
        • Rs 460.77 crore to Kerala
        • Rs 177.37 crore to Nagaland
        • Rs 179.64 crore to Odisha
        • Rs 1,758.18 crore to Maharashtra
        • Rs 1,119.98 crore to Rajasthan
        • Rs 1,090.68 crore to West Bengal
        • Rs 11.48 crore to Karnataka
RBI cuts repo rate to 4.40%, maintains accommodative stance
    • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) massively reduced the key lending rates in response to the Covid-19 outbreak.
    • The Monetary Policy Committee of the central bank in an unscheduled meet reduced the repo rate, the key interest rate at which the RBI lends short term funds to commercial banks, by 75 basis points to 4.40 per cent from 5.15 per cent. The reverse repo rate was also reduced by 90 basis points to 4 per cent.
    • The marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate stand reduced to 4.65 per cent from 5.40 per cent.
    • The Apex bank instituted a moratorium on interest payments on term loans for three months. This move is expected to benefit corporates and MSMEs. Even interest on working capital loans have been deferred for three months.
    • The cash reserve ratio (CRR) of all banks have been reduced by 100 basis points to 3 per cent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) with effect from the reporting fortnight beginning March 28, 2020 for a period of one year.
    • Lending institutions are being permitted to allow a deferment of three months on payment of interest in respect of all such facilities outstanding as on March 1, 2020.
    • The moratorium on term loans and the deferring of interest payments on working capital will not result in asset classification downgrade.
Abbott’s portable test ”ID NOW COVID-19” can detect COVID-19 in 5 minutes
    • US-based healthcare technology maker Abbott has unveiled a test that can deliver positive results in as little as five minutes. The test can also be used outside the four walls of a traditional hospital such as in the physicians.
    • Testing remains a crucial step in controlling the novel COVID-19 pandemic.
    • Continuing to supply healthcare providers with new technologies to help curb the spread of infection is a top priority for public health officials and healthcare providers.
    • The new Abbott ”ID NOW COVID-19” test runs on Abbott”s ID NOWTM platform — a lightweight box (6.6 pounds and the size of a small toaster) that can sit in a variety of locations.
    • Because of its small size, it can be used in more non-traditional places where people can have their results in a matter of minutes, bringing an alternate testing technology to combat the novel coronavirus.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses C-40 leaders, commits to contain COVID-19
    • Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal represented India and the national capital in a global meet organised by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, to discuss strategy to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
    • Kejriwal was joined by top leaders of several megacities from around the world, such as mayors of Los Angeles (Eric Garcetti), Seoul (Won-soon Park), Paris (Anne Hidalgo), Milan (Guiseppa Sala), Istanbul (Ekrem Imamoglu) and Rome (Virginia Raggi), Johannesburg (Geoff Makhubo), London (Sadiq Khan) and Madrid (Jos Luis MartAnez-Almeida), amongst 45 mayors who were present in the meet.
    • He said that Delhi aggressively pursued the policy of identifying contacts and isolating them through learning from the experiences of other countries.
    • Counting the steps taken by the Delhi government towards the welfare of all sections of the society, the Chief Minister said that the government has already released a two months advance social security pension for widows, senior citizens and the specially-abled.

FACTFILE – The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40)

    • The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) is a group of 96 cities around the world that represents one twelfth of the world’s population and one quarter of the global economy.
    • C40 is focused on tackling climate change and driving urban action that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks, while increasing the health, wellbeing and economic opportunities of urban citizens.
    • C40 started in October 2005 when London Mayor Ken Livingstone convened representatives from 18 megacities to forge an agreement on cooperatively reducing climate pollution and created the ‘C20’.
    • The rotating Steering Committee of C40 mayors provides strategic direction and governance.
    • Steering Committee members include: Amman, Boston, Copenhagen, Durban, Hong Kong, Jakarta, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Milan, Paris, Seoul, and Tokyo.
    • Working across multiple sectors and initiative areas, C40 convenes networks of cities providing a suite of services in support of their efforts, including: direct technical assistance; facilitation of peer-to-peer exchange; and research, knowledge management & communications.
    • C40 is also positioning cities as a leading force for climate action around the world, defining and amplifying their call to national governments for greater support and autonomy in creating a sustainable future.
    • C40’s work is made possible by three strategic funders: Bloomberg Philanthropies, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and Realdania.
    • Indian member cities are Bengaluru, Chennai, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi

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Assam Current Affairs – March 15 – 21, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – March 15 - 21, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of March 15 – 21, 2020 )

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MARCH 15, 2020

Assamese versions of The Ahoms and The Principia released
  • The Assamese versions of The Ahoms and Principia, The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, were released at an event held at Swahid Nyas.
  • The translated version of The Ahoms, authored by Arup Kumar Dutta, was released by eminent writer and veteran journalist HomenBorgohain.
  • The book was translated into Assamese by senior research fellow in the Department of English, Gauhati University Parag Kumar Deka.
  • The Assamese edition of Sir Isaac Newton’s Principia, The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, was released by retired professor of physics, Gauhati University Dr Barindra Kumar Sarma.
  • The book was translated into Assamese by Professor of physics, Tezpur University Dr Jayanta Kumar Sarma and edited by retired assistant professor of physics, Handique Girls’ College BasantaDeka.
IIT Madras launched “Career Back 2 Women (CB2Women)” to skill women in technical profession
  • Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) launched a “Career Back 2 Women (CB2Women)” initiative through its “Digital Skills Academy” to skill women who aspire to return to a technical profession after a break in their career.
  • Overall, as many as 150 hours of training will be offered to skill the women on their journey back to their careers.
  • Candidates will get a choice to opt for any level as certificates will be issued for each level.
  • The IIT Madras Digital Skills Academy is using latest platforms and has tied-up with the Forensic Intelligence Surveillance and Security Technologies (FISST) to offer this programme.
  • All participants will take “Back To Technical Track (BTCUBE)”, which is a 20 hour programme that will bring them up-to-date on technologies and demystifies latest jargons.
  • At the end of this programme, they will have a choice to select a specialisation.
  • All participants will take “Back To Technical Track (BTCUBE)”, which is a 20 hour programme that will bring them up-to-date on technologies and demystifies latest jargons.
  • At the end of this programme, they will have a choice to select a specialisation.
  • There are 4 tracks offered initially. Track 1 – Data Science and Big Data, Track 2 – Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML), Track 3 – Cyber Security with Digital Forensics, Track 4 – Software Engineering with Programming in Python with MongoDB.
  • The Institute also plans to offer more courses at various levels for students and working professionals in association with NASSCOM and in partnership with training companies incubated at IIT Madras Research Park and industry partners.
IIT Mandi designs algorithms for HVAC systems in buildings
  • The Indian Institute of Technology Mandi (IIT Mandi) said its researchers have developed new algorithms for component failure detection and diagnosis that can enhance the energy efficient operation of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems used in buildings.
  • In centralised HVAC systems in buildings, climate control and ventilation are performed at a centralised location outside the building by an Air Handling Unit (AHU) which results in better maintenance and no indoor noise.
  • The processed air is distributed to every room with the help of controlled ducts and excess air in the room is recirculated through the unit.
  • According to the researchers, the algorithm developed for detection and estimation of the magnitude of the failure of VAV dampers uses analytical models that are applicable over a wide range of unpredictable operating conditions, such as weather dynamics, outside air temperature, zone occupancy profile, and so on.
  • The researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness through exhaustive simulation studies and have shown that the developed algorithm can successfully detect and estimate the magnitude of VAV multiple damper faults.
  • The research team is working towards developing decentralised and distributed fault diagnosis algorithms and fault-tolerant control strategies for large scale buildings in order to ensure more energy-efficient operation of HVAC systems and hopes to extend this work to real time testing and validation on a real building monitoring platform.

 

MARCH 16, 2020
TRIFED Launches transformational “Tech For Tribals” program
  • A game changing and unique project aimed to transform 5 crore Tribal Entrepreneurs under the name “Tech for Tribal” has been launched by TRIFED.
  • It was launched by TRIFED and IIT-Kanpur along with IIT-Roorkee, IIM Indore, Kalinga Institute of Social Science, Bhubaneshwar and SRIJAN, Jaipur in the first phase of organising tribal entrepreneurship and skill development program.
  • Tech for Tribals, an initiative of TRIFED supported by Ministry of MSME, aims at capacity building and imparting entrepreneurship skills totribal forest produce gatherers enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana(PMVDY).
  • The trainees will undergo a 30 days program over six weeks comprising 120 sessions.
  • Under the Tech for Tribals program, the Partners will develop course contents relevant to Entrepreneurship in Value Addition and Processing of Forest Produces.
  • The Tech for tribals capacity building program will ensure higher success rate of the Tribal Entrepreneurs by enabling and empowering them to run their business with marketable products with quality certifications.

FACTIFLE – The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED)

  • The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) came into existence in 1987.
  • It is a national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India.
  • TRIFED has its registered and Head Office located in New Delhi and has a network of 13 Regional Offices located at various places in the country.
  • The ultimate objective of TRIFED is socio-economic development of tribal people in the country by way of marketing development of the tribal products on which the lives of tribals depends heavily as they spend most of their time and derive major portion of their income.
  • The activity of TRIFED is divided into two categories :
  • Minor Forest Produces(MFP) Development
    • MFP Development
    • MSP for MFPs
    • R&D of MFPs
  • Retail Marketing Development
    • Retail Marketing Development
    • Handicraft / Handloom development Training
Centre clears 52 Master Plans of North East river basins
  • The Centre has cleared 52 Master Plans of River Basins of Northeast region, including main stem of Brahmaputra and Barak rivers prepared by the Brahmaputra Board for implementation of its recommendations by respective State governments. The control of floods and erosion is also part of recommendations.
  • Every year Assam, Manipur and other Northeast region suffer losses due to heavy rains and flood. Flood management being a State subject, schemes for flood management and erosion control are formulated and implemented by the State governments.
  • In addition, the Government of India has also released funds to Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland under the Flood Management Programme in the last four financial years for execution of their flood management schemes.
  • The Government of India through Central Water Commission issues flood forecasts for Northeast States which facilitates them to manage the flood.
PM Modi proposes SAARC fund to combat coronavirus
  • Making a strong pitch for SAARC nations to jointly combat coronavirus, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed setting up a COVID-19 emergency fund with India committing $10 million initially for it, and asserted that the best way to deal with the pandemic was by coming together, and not growing apart.
  • Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Bhutanese premier LotayTshering, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Special Assistant to Pakistani Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza also participated in the video conference.
  • The message of the video conference was unitedly taking on the pandemic.
  • Modi asserted that it was important for the SAARC member countries to work together. He said it was important to focus on collaboration, not confusion, and preparation, not panic.

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MARCH 17, 2020
India to fund NPR 107 million for construction of three school buildings in Nepal
  • The Government of India will provide 107.01 million Nepali Rupees (NPR) for three new school buildings in Nepal. The schools will be constructed in Darchula, Dhanusha and Kapilvastu districts.
  • The Embassy of India and Nepal’s Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration signed Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with Mahakali Municipality, Darchula and MukhiyapattiMusharniya Rural Municipality, Dhanusha in Kathmandu for the construction of two new school buildings.
  • These school will be built under the India-Nepal Development Partnership programme at a total estimated cost of NPR 73.96 million.
  • The new infrastructure will be used by Shree Malikarjun Higher Secondary School at Dhap in Darchula district and BaidyanathDevnarayan Public Higher Secondary School at Tulsiyahi in Dhanusha district. 
  • The Government of India will provide funds while construction work, including call for tender, award of work and day to day supervision, will be by Mahakali Municipality, Dharchula and MukhiyapattiMusharniya Rural Municipality, Dhanusha.
  • The projects will be monitored at the federal level by the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration of Nepal and Embassy of India.
  • The Government of India has also committed an amount of NPR 33.05 million for the construction of new school building for Shivbhari School, Mahrajgunj Municipality in Kapilvastu district.
  • The Embassy of India handed over a cheque of NPR 8.26 million as the first installment to of its total commitment to District Coordination Committee Kapilvastu.
Lok  Sabha passes Appropriation Bill 2020-21
  • The Lok Sabha passed the Appropriation Bill 2020-21, authorising the government to draw funds from the Consolidated Fund of India for its working as well as implementation of its programmes and schemes.
  • The house passed the bill after the Speaker applied ”guillotine” on demands of grants for various ministries.
  • Once the speaker applies the guillotine, all the outstanding demands for grants, whether discussed or not, are put to vote at once. After this, appropriation bill is taken into consideration.

InDepthKnowledge: Procedure for enactment of Budget

The stages through which the budget goes through in the parliament.

  1. Presentation of budget
  2. General discussion
  3. Scrutiny by departmental committees
  4. Voting on demands of grants
  5. Passing of the appropriation bill
  6. Passing of finance bill

 

  1. Presentation of Budget

The General Budget are presented in the Lok Sabha. In an election year, the budgets may be presented twice—first to secure a vote on account for a few months and later in full. After the budget speech by the finance minister, the budget is laid before the Rajya Sabha, which can discuss it but has no power to vote on the demands for grants. Immediately after the presentation of the Budget, the following three statements under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003 are also laid on the Table of Lok Sabha:-

 (i) The Medium-Term Fiscal Policy Statement;

(ii) The Fiscal Policy Strategy Statement; and

(iii) The Macro-Economic Framework Statement

  1. General Discussion

After a few days of the budget presentation, general discussion starts which usually, lasts for three to four days. The House can discuss the budget as a whole or any question of principles involved but no motion can be moved at this stage. The scope of discussion is confined to an examination of the general scheme and structure of the budget. The finance minister has the general right of reply at the end of the discussion.

  1. Scrutiny by Departmental Committees

After the general discussion on the budget is over, the House is adjourned for a fixed period. During this period, the demands for grants of the ministries/ departments are examined and discussed by the 24 departmental standing committees. These committees prepare their reports on the demands for grants of each ministry and submit to both the Houses of the parliament. 

  1. Voting on Demands of Grants 

After the reports of the Standing Committees are presented to the House, the House proceeds to the discussion and voting on demands for grants. The demands for grants are presented to the Lok Sabha ministry-wise and are voted upon, after which they become grants. Though the budget is discussed in both the Houses, but only the members of Lok Sabha vote on demands for grants.

No Voting is done on those matters which are related to the expenditure charged upon the Consolidated Fund of India. The members can discuss the budget in details and also move motions to reduce any demand of grant. This motion is called cut motion.

Cut motions are of three types:

(i) Disapproval of Policy Cut Motion: The motion states that the amount of the demand be reduced to Re. 1 which means that the mover disapproves of the policy underlying the demand. The mover can advocate for an alternative policy.

(ii) Economy Cut Motion: The motion states that the amount of the demand be reduced by a particular amount. The motion represents the effect of proposed expenditure on the economy. The amount suggested for reduction may be either a lump-sum reduction in the demand or omission or reduction of an item in the demand.

(iii) Token Cut Motion:  The objective of the motion is to ventilate a specific grievance within the sphere of responsibility of the government. It states that the amount of the demand be reduced by Rs. 100. Discussion on such a cut motion is confined to the particular grievance specified in the motion which is within the sphere of responsibility of the government of India.

If such a motion is passed in the Lok Sabha, it may lead to the resignation of the government for want of majority.

On the last of the allotted days for the discussion and voting on demands for grants, the Speaker puts every question necessary to dispose of all the outstanding matters in connection with the demands for grants. This is known as the guillotine, which concludes the discussion on demands for grants.

  1. Appropriation Bill

After the demands for grants have been passed by the House, an appropriation bill is introduced  for the appropriation out of the Consolidated Fund of India, all money required:

(i). To meet the grants passed by the Lok Sabha

(ii). The expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of India

No amendment can be proposed to an Appropriation Bill which will have the effect of varying the amount or altering the destination of any grant so made or of varying the amount of any expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of India. The decision of the Speaker as to whether such an amendment is admissible is final.

The appropriation bill becomes an act after it receives assent from the president. Until that time, the government cannot take out money from the Consolidated Fund of India. As the process takes some time, usually till the end of April, the constitution provides for a provision called the ‘vote on account’.

The constitution allows the government to take any grant in advance according to the estimated expenditure for that part of the year. Usually, it is granted for two months which is equivalent to one-sixth of the total expenditure.

  1. Passing of the Finance Bill

The finance bill is introduced every year to give effect to the financial proposals of the Government of India for the next following financial year.

The finance bill is introduced immediately after the presentation of the budget. The introduction of the bill cannot be opposed. According to the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act, 1931, the finance bill has to be passed by parliament and assented to by the president before the expiry of the seventy-fifth day after the day on which it was introduced.

As the finance bill contains taxation proposals, it is considered and passed by the Lok Sabha only after the demands for grants have been voted and the total expenditure is known. The Finance Act completes the process of the enactment of the budget.

Parliament passes Central Sanskrit Universities Bill
  • The Rajya Sabha passed the Central Sanskrit Universities Bill by voice vote, paving the way for converting three deemed varsities into central Sanskrit universities.
  • The three deemed varsities to be converted into central Sanskrit universities are Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi; Lal Bahadur ShastriRashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi; and Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Tirupati.
  • The Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on March 2 by Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal ”Nishank”.
Moghai Ojah award presented to Paramananda Majumder
  • Noted writer and researcher Dr Paramananda Majumder, who compiled the first book on the life and works of folk musician Moghai Ojah, was presented the 10th Moghai Ojah Award at a function held at Jorhat Science Centre and Planetarium.
  • The award instituted in 2011 by the Jorhat district unit of the AJYCP, was given away to Dr Majumder by AJYCP general secretary Palash Changmai.
  • The award carried a cash prize of Rs 21,000, a citation, a gamosa, a selengchadar and a memento. The award is annually presented on March 15, on the death anniversary of Ojah.
  • First recipient of the award was prominent sattriya dance exponent Padmashri Jatin Goswami.

BIOGRAPHY – Moghai Ojah

  • Moghai Ojah (1916–1978) was a musician from Assam who popularized the Dhol of Assam to the world audience.
  • Moghai Ojah had also acted in a few films, which include Pioli Phukan, Ranga Police, Pratidhwani, Mahut Bandhu Re (Bengali) and Maram Trishna.
  • Ojah was born in Naosolia Gaon, Jorhat, Assam in a family of Chutia ethnicity and died in Jorhat, Assam on 15 March 1978.
  • Srijanasom Trust, a charitable institution set up with an objective of promotion of Indian art and culture has instituted an award titled “Moghai Ojah Srijan Award” in memory of Moghai Ojah in 2015.

 

MARCH 18, 2020

Rajya Sabha passes National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill 2019
  • Rajya Sabha passed the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill 2019 and the National Commission for Homoeopathy Medicine Bill 2019
  • Union minister for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik said, the two bills aim at providing a quality and affordable medical education system ensuring high quality medical professionals in Indian System of Medicine and Homeopathy, in all parts of the country.  
  • The Commission will also ensure adoption of latest medical research in the work of such professionals.
Madhya Pradesh to get 3 new districts
  • The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet gave in-principle approval to the formation of three new districts in the state.
  • The state Cabinet approved in principle to constitute three new districts including Chachaura, Maihar and Nagda.
  • Following the formation of the new districts the number would rise to 55.

Three new districts of MP:

  • Chachaura is currently part of Guna district.
  • Maihar, currently part of Satna district.
  • Nagda is currently part of Ujjain district.
Assam CM reviews flood prevention measures of Guwahati Development Department
  • Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal reviewed the measures taken by the Guwahati Development Department (GDD) to prevent artificial floods in the city.
  • The Chief Minister directed the officials of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) to complete the de-silting of drains and water-bodies by the first week of May so that free flow of rainwater can be ensured before the onset of monsoon.
  • He also urged the officials to explore ways to revive the Bharalu river and look at ways to develop water-bodies to retain excess water coming from the hills of Meghalaya during the rainy season.
  • The Chief Minister stressed the need to make people the stakeholders in the fight against flash floods so that they do throw garbage and plastics into the drains.
Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas test flies for final operational clearance
  • The indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas was test flown for final operation clearance (FOC) standard for certification.
  • The home-grown fighter aircraft was test flown for about 40 minutes by chief test pilot Air Commodore (retired) K.A. Muthana from the city’s eastern suburb airport.
  • Designed and developed by the Aeronautics Development Agency (ADA) of the state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
  • The fourth-generation fighter aircraft is manufactured by the defence behemoth (HAL) for deployment in the frontline combat fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
  • The single engine, delta wing, multi-role fighter, equipped with advanced features such as air-to-air refuelling and beyond visual range missile system, will go into serial production after regulatory certification by Cemilac and endorsement by the IAF for FOC and deployment into its depleted fleet.
  • The LCA’s 45 Squadron Flying Daggers is based at the Sulur air base near Coimbatore in southern Tamil Nadu.

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MARCH 19, 2020

Justice B P Dharmadhikari appointed as new Chief Justice of Bombay HC
  • Acting Chief Justice Bhushan Pradyumna Dharmadhikari was appointed as the new Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.
  • The senior most judge, Justice Dharmadhikari was appointed as acting chief justice following the retirement of Justice Pradeep Nandrajog, the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court.
  • In exercise of the power conferred by Clause (I) Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Justice Bhushan Pradyumna Dharmadhikari, Judge of Bombay High Court, to be the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.
Assam Govt orders closure of all Aadhaar centres
  • In yet another measure to contain the spread of coronavirus, the state government has decided to close all Aadhaar registration centres across the State till March 31, 2020.
  • The step has been taken to ensure that the mandatory biometric collection system does not contribute to spreading infection.
  • It needs to be mentioned here that Aadhaar centres in many parts of the country have already been closed because of the pandemic. In private institutions also, biometric systems have been closed.
  • A notification from the Commissioner Secretary of the State General Administration department has asked all the deputy commissioners of the state to ensure strict implementation of the instruction in this regard.
DAC approved procurement of 83 Tejas fighters for the IAF
  • The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved procurement of 83 Tejas fighters for the IAF. The proposal will now be placed for consideration of Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
  • The DAC has also approved for acquisition of indigenous defence equipment for about Rs 1,300 crore.
  • The proposals were for procurement of Aerial Fuses and Twin-Dome Simulators for Hawk Mk32 aircraft for the IAF.
  • Light Combat Aircraft ”Tejas” is indigenously designed by Aircraft Development Agency (ADA) under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
  • The DAC also approved an amendment to the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) 2016 to enable review by a costing committee of bids submitted by joint ventures of Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs)/Ordnance Factory Board (OFB)/DRDO.
Uttarakhand abolishes quota in promotion for govt employees
  • Uttarakhand government abolished reservation in promotion in the state government jobs. The state government also issued orders regarding departmental promotion committee (DPC).
  • The state government’s order said that as per the Supreme Court’s decision, the government has abolished the promotion ban dated September 11, 2019.
  • Besides, the state government order dated September 5, 2012 banning reservation in promotions has also come into effect.

MARCH 20, 2020

Meghalaya present Rs 1,532 crore deficit budget
  • Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma tabled a Rs 1,532-crore deficit budget for 2020-21, projecting a total expenditure of Rs 17,432 crore, including a developmental budget of Rs 8,616 crore.
  • The total receipts for the fiscal is estimated at Rs 17,375 crore, of which revenue receipts are pegged at Rs 15,353 crore and capital receipts at Rs 2,022 crore, the Chief Minister said.
  • The budget of 2020-21 has a fiscal deficit of Rs 1,532 crore, which is around 3.53 per cent of the GSDP,” Sangma, who also holds the Finance portfolio, said.
  • “Our strategy revolves around prioritising the four core pillars of human development, primary sector, infrastructure and entrepreneurship,” he added.
  • The Chief Minister also said that the State Government is committed to take all necessary measures to effectively deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
PM Modi calls for daylong ‘Janata Curfew’ on March 22
  • In wake of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the people of the country to opt for a ”Janata Curfew” on March 22 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • This is public curfew. Janata curfew means for the public, curfew imposed on public by themselves.
  • He urged people to follow this ”curfew”, not go out on the streets or even gather in their societies and stay inside their homes.
  • The Prime Minister further urged people above the age of 60 should avoid going out in the coming weeks.
  • The Prime Minister also urged the people to follow the instructions issued by the state governments.
  • The Prime Minister also said that if one thinks that by roaming on the streets is safe, then it is not good.
Lok Sabha passes bill to merge three Ayurveda institutes at Gujarat
  • The Lok Sabha passed a bill for conglomerating three Ayurveda institutes at Gujarat Ayurved University campus Jamnagar and to declare the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Jamnagar as an institution of national
  • Ayush Minister ShripadNaik said there had been no discrimination with any state and more projects will be undertaken depending on availability of funds.
  • He said research at various institutes in Ayurveda was being published in peer journals and the institute at Jamnagar with its enhanced status will help boost research.
  • The bill provides for conglomerating the cluster of Ayurveda institutes at Gujarat Ayurved University campus Jamnagar – Institute for Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Shri Gulabkunwerba Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya and Institute of Ayurveda Pharmaceutical Sciences including Pharmacy Unit.
  • It provides for subsuming the MaharshiPatanjali Institute for Yoga and Naturopathy Education and Research into the Department of Swasthvritta of the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda.
CSIR develops bio hand-sanitizer
  • A laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Himachal Pradesh has developed a hand-sanitizer that contains natural flavours, active tea constituents and alcohol content as per WHO guidelines.
  • The product is free from parabens, triclosan, synthetic fragrance and phthalates, says CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology that is based in Palampur town in Kangra district.
  • It says the technology was transferred to a private unit through an agreement made on March 16 between CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology and A.B. Scientific Solutions, which is also based in Palampur.
  • As per the agreement, CSIR-IHBT will transfer its expertise for making hand sanitizers and other disinfectants to the company.
  • The firm with a strong marketing network will establish this facility at Palampur and will market hand sanitizers and other disinfectants across the country.
Nepal has committed 100 million rupees to SAARC fund to fight Coronavirus
  • Nepal has committed 100 million rupees to SAARC fund set by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fight Coronavirus
  • Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said during SAARC leaders video conference on Coronavirus he had committed to contribute amount for the fund announced by Indian Prime Minister to fight the Coronavirus pandemic.
  • In his first speech after the renal transplant Nepali Prime Minister Oli urged the citizens to make necessary changes in their daily activities incorporating precautionary measures to fight against the new pandemic that started from China.
  • Nepali Prime Minister also announced ban on all International flights into the Himalayan Nation from March 22 to 31 along with the strict health check-ups at border sides to rein COVID-19. He said compulsory health check-ups would be introduced at border points for travelers entering Nepal via roads. 

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MARCH 21, 2020

Rs 19,891 crore budget tabled in Tripura Assembly
  • Tripura Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma, who also holds the Finance portfolio, presented a Rs 19,891-crore budget, which is a 13.46 per cent increase over last year’s budget of Rs 17,530 crore.
  • The budget leaves an uncovered deficit of Rs 511 crore, which the Government intends to cover by higher mobilisation of internal resources and an austerity drive. However, there is no new tax proposal in the budget.
  • Other highlights of the budget are a whopping 229.50 per cent hike in allocation for the Department of Information Technology, 52.79 per cent for the Department of Planning, 46.11 per cent for Forest, 37.98 per cent for PWD (DW&S), 37.91 per cent for Tribal Welfare (Research), 36.02 per cent for PWD (R&B) and 10.27 per cent for the Department of Agriculture.
  • There are announcements of constitution of the Innovation and Transformation Aayog of Tripura, and introduction of Tripura Beti Bachao Beti Padao Abhiyan and Chief Minister’s Fasal Bima Yojana.
  • Deputy Chief Minister Dev Varma announced that the Government would provide free sanitary napkins to girl students of classes VI to XII, incurring an annual expenditure of Rs 4.10 crore.
  • Dev Varma said the State Government was on course to make Tripura a model State and this endeavour of the State Government has been appreciated by the Centre.
  • The expenditure on payment of salaries, wages and pension takes away 44.68 per cent of the total budgetary allocation, while 10 per cent more is to be borne on interest payment and repayment of loans.
  • It is only with the remaining 54.67 per cent that the State Government will have to cover its development expenditure which may not prove to be enough.
  • Dev Varma said the reduction in the State’s share of Central taxes by 1 per cent, which is now 41 per cent compared to 42 per cent earlier, and shrinking of the divisible pool was due to higher allocations for internal security and defence.
  • According to the Centre, Tripura has topped the good governance index among the North Eastern States.
Lok  Sabha passes Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020
  • The Lok Sabha passed a Bill that seeks to declare five Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) in public-private partnership mode as institutions of national importance along with existing 15 Indian Institutes of Information Technology.
  • Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal ”Nishank” said the Bill seeks to declare five IIITs set up under the PPP mode in Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala, and Raichur as institutions of national importance.
  • Currently, these institutes are registered as Societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and do not have the power to grant degrees or diplomas.
  • On being declared institutions of national importance, the five institutes will be granted the power to grant degrees.
  • The Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act, 2017 declares certain Indian Institutes of Information Technology established under Public-Private Partnership mode as institutions of national importance. Under the Act, 15 institutes are currently incorporated as institutions of national importance.

FACTFILE – Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs)

  • Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) are a group of institutes of higher education in India, focused on information technology.
  • Five of them are established, funded and managed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The rest are set up on the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
  • Prior to 2010, the IIITs at Gwalior, Allahabad, Jabalpur and Kancheepuram were set up by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).
  • In 2015, a fifth institute was set up by the MHRD in Kurnool, as part as the government obligation under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
  • In 2020 Prime Minister lead Union Cabinet has been approved to setup new IIIT in Agartala, Tripura alongside 4 new IIIT under PPP mode
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Gwalior
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Jabalpur
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Kancheepuram
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Sri City
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Guwahati
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Vadodara
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Kota
Indian Institute of Information Technology Tiruchirappalli
Indian Institute of Information Technology Una
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Sonepat
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Kalyani
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Lucknow
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Dharwad
Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing, Kurnool
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Kottayam
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Manipur
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Nagpur
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Pune
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Ranchi
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Surat
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Bhopal
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Bhagalpur
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Agartala
Assam Govt initiates phone-based learning for students
  • The State government initiated phone-based learning for students during school closure to mitigate learning gaps among children.
  • In order to meet the learning gaps of children and reduce the probability of dropout of children from schools, some initiatives have been proposed by the education department.
  • As per these initiatives, the heads of the institutions or teachers of the schools will open a WhatsApp group with parents/guardians. Groups may be opened class-wise, if number of students and teachers are more in the school.
  • Teachers have been instructed to provide necessary learning support through phone-based learning materials, including homework.
  • Students will do the homework and teachers will check the answers on WhatsApp itself, and by visiting children who need special attention.
  • Teachers can also share short videos on academic areas and can upload them on the WhatsApp for the students.
  • Teachers have also been instructed to pay home visits to students in general and those with learning issues in particular.
  • The academic support may be provided by teachers through phone/WhatsApp during morning hours from 7 am to 9 am or evening hours from 7 pm to 9 pm.
Defence Ministry signs capital acquisition contract with Israeli firm
  • The Defence Ministry has signed a capital acquisition contract with Israel Weapons Industries (IWI) for procurement of 16,479 light machine guns (LMGs) at a cost of Rs 880 crore.
  • The contract was signed with the approval of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
  • IWI, which is based out of Ramat HaSharon city in Israel, would be providing Negev 7.62*51 mm LMGs to the Indian armed forces under the contract.
  • The contracted Negev 7.62X51 mm LMG is a combat proven weapon and currently used by several countries around the globe.
  • The Indian Armed Forces’ long-standing requirement of a modern state-of-the-art LMG has finally fructified.
  • The acquisition wing of Ministry of Defence has signed the capital acquisition contract with IWI for procurement of 16,479 LMGs at a cost of Rs 880 crore with the approval of Defence Ministry.
Ministry of HRD and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have jointly developed comprehensive School Health Programme
  • Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resources Development and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have jointly developed comprehensive School Health Programme (SHP) under Ayushman Bharat to foster the growth, development and educational achievement of school going children by promoting their health and wellbeing.
  • A total of eleven themes have been identified under the SHP which include Reproductive Health and HIV Prevention.  These modules create awareness on the subject among adolescents.
  • In pursuance of the National Curriculum Framework, 2005, the Department of School & Literacy is implementing the Adolescence Education Programme (AEP) as part of the National Population Education Project (NPEP). 
  • One of the learning outcomes of AEP is to make the learners aware of the concerns of adolescence, i.e. process of growing up during adolescence, HIV/AIDS and Substance (Drug) Abuse and to inculcate in them positive attitude regarding these concerns.

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Assam Current Affairs – March 08 – 14, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – March 8 - 14, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of March 8 – 14, 2020 )

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MARCH 08, 2020

Delimitation Commission for north-eastern states constituted
  • Former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai will head the Delimitation Commission that will redraw Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly constituencies of the north-eastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland.
  • Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and a representative of the state election commission of the four northeastern states will be the ex officio members.
  • The commission will delimit the constituencies of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland in accordance with the provisions of the Delimitation Act, 2002.

FACTFILE – Delimitation Commission of India

  • The Delimitation commission (Boundary commission) of India is a commission established by the Government of India under the provisions of the Delimitation Commission Act.
  • The main task of the commission is redrawing the boundaries of the various assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies based on a recent census.
  • The representation from each State is not changed during this exercise. However, the number of SC and ST seats in a state are changed in accordance with the census.
  • The present delimitation of constituencies has been done on the basis of 2001 census under the provisions of Delimitation Act, 2002.
  • The Commission is a powerful and independent body whose orders cannot be challenged in any court of law.
  • Delimitation commissions have been set up four times in the past — 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002 — under Delimitation Commission Acts of 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002.
  • The union government had suspended delimitation in 1976 until after the 2001 census so that states’ family planning programs would not affect their political representation in the Lok Sabha. This had led to wide discrepancies in the size of constituencies, with the largest having over three million electors, and the smallest less than 50,000.

FACTFILE – Delimitation Commission of 2002

  • The most recent delimitation commission was set up on 12 July 2002 after the 2001 census with Justice Kuldip Singh, a retired Judge of the Supreme Court as its Chairperson.
  • The Commission has submitted its recommendations. On December 2007, the Supreme Court on a petition issued notice to the central government asking reasons for non implementation. On 4 January 2008, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) decided to implement the order from the Delimitation Commission.
  • The recommendations of the Commission was approved by President Pratibha Patil on 19 February. This means that all future elections in India for states covered by the commission will be held under the newly formed constituencies.
  • The present delimitation of parliamentary constituencies has been done on the basis of 2001 census figures under the provisions of Delimitation Act, 2002.
  • However, the Constitution of India was specifically amended in 2002 not to have delimitation of constituencies till the first census after 2026. Thus, the present constituencies carved out on the basis of 2001 census shall continue to be in operation till the first census after 2026.
  • The assembly election in Karnataka, conducted in three phases in May 2008, was the first to use the new boundaries as drawn by the 2002 delimitation commission.
President of India confers Nari Shakti Puraskar for 2019
  • The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind presented Nari Shakti Puraskar for the year 2019 at a special ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
  • The awards were conferred on 15 eminent women in recognition of their efforts in rendering distinguished services towards emancipation of women, especially vulnerable and marginalized women.
  • Nari Shakti Puraskar is an initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development to acknowledge the exceptional contribution made by individuals and institutions, to celebrate women as game changers and catalyst of positive change in the society.

The winners of the Nari Shakti Puraskar for the year 2019 are

NAME STATE
Padala Bhudevi Andhra Pradesh
Bina Devi Bihar
Arifa Jan Jammu and Kashmir
Chami Murmu Jharkhand
Nilza Wangmo Ladakh
Rashmi Urdhwareshe Maharashtra
Sardarni Mann Kaur Punjab
Kalavati Devi Uttar Pradesh
Tashi and Nungshi Malik Uttarakhand
Kaushiki Chakroborty West Bengal
Bhageerathi Amma

Karthyayini Amma

 Kerala
Avani Chaturvedi

Bhawna Kanth

Mohana Singh

Madhya Pradesh

Bihar

Uttar Pradesh

 

PM hands over Twitter handle to women achievers
  • Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has said that women achievers will share their life journey through his social media accounts on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
  • Women from across India are sharing their life stories on the Prime Minister’s twitter handle. The journeys shared by women from all walks of life are exemplary and motivating. 
  • A Chennai-based food activist, Sneha Mohandoss was the first women to take over the PM’s account Sunday morning. Founder of Food Bank India, Mohandoss is striving for a hunger-free planet.
  • Malvika Iyer is a bomb blast survivor, who lost her hands and damaged her legs in the grenade blast in her home in Bikaner in 2002, when she was 13 years old. Iyer was bedridden for over 18 months and underwent multiple surgeries for over two years to get back on her feet.
  • Arifa is a Kashmiri activist seeking to revive the traditional Namda crafts of the region.
  • A Hyderabad-based architect, Kalpana Ramesh runs a city-based project to conserve lakes and rivers. The government and forest authorities have also been collaborating with her in the endeavour to conserve water.
  • An artisan from the Banjara community of rural Maharashtra, Vijaya Pawar was the fifth woman to take over Modi’s social media account.
  • Kalavati is an activist who campaigns against open defecation, A mason who hails from Kanpur, Kalavati is on a mission to build toilets across the lower income households in the city.
  • An organic farmer, Veena Devi has been growing mushrooms at home for several years now, through some unique farming-at-home techniques. She has also encouraged several other women to do grow mushrooms in a similar manner.
Tech Mahindra launches women-led ‘Ideathon‘ to drive tech innovation
  • Makers Lab, the research and development arm of IT major Tech Mahindra launched a women-led “Ideathon” aimed at solving real world challenges through technology, especially in the defence space.
  • Announced on International Women”s Day, the Ideathon will run for four weeks and will end on April 7.
  • Makers Lab, is to promote technology innovation and provide a common platform where academia and industry can come together to create disruptive solutions to solve real world problems.
  • The Ideathon will consist of two rounds. The top 20 ideas will be rewarded and will get a chance to interact with instructors as well as Army officers of College of Military Engineering (CME), Pune.
  • College of Military Engineering is a premier technical and tactical training institute of the Indian Army (Corps of Engineers) with a focus on promoting innovative technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for the Indian Army.

MARCH 09, 2020
Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) chief presents deficit budget
  • The Chief Executive Member (CEM) of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) Tuliram Ronghang presented Rs 38.97-crore deficit budget for the year 2020-21 for the council.
  • The budget also proposed an estimated expenditure of Rs 225 crore for the fiscal to carry out developmental activities.
  • The Council’s main sources of revenue are derived mostly from forest products, entry tax, professional tax, trade callings, land revenue, share of motor vehicle tax, sale proceeds from weekly markets, ghats, fisheries and cattle pounds.
  • In order to increase the revenue kitty, the CEM also proposed new fee hike on trading license, transfer of land and other trades.
  • The KAAC is likely to receive an amount of Rs 50 crore of administrative charges and share of motor vehicle tax from the state government. Similarly, the KAAC would receive excise and export revenues from 2021
  • The MAC development fund has been increased to Rs 30 lakh from Rs 15 lakh. The state government has assured that the excise and export revenues will be handed over to the KAAC fully and the amount may touch Rs 100 crore from April next year.
NITI Aayog organizes the fourth edition of the Women Transforming India Awards
  • NITI Aayog organized the Fourth Edition of the Women Transforming India Awards and Rajnath Singh, presided over as the chief guest of the event and conferred the WTI Awards.
  • WTI Awards are NITI Aayog’s initiative to highlight the commendable and ground-breaking endeavours of India’s women leaders and changemakers.
  • Since 2018, the Awards have been hosted under the aegis of NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform with a special focus on entrepreneurship. 

The winners of WTI Awards are

  • Priyanka Mokshmar is the co-founder of Vaayu Home Appliances
  • Ramya Venkataraman’s Centre for Teacher Accreditation (CENTA)
  • Shilpi Kapoor BarrierBreak
  • Rinka Banerjee Thinking Forks
  • Nidhi Pant Science for Society team
  • Anupriya Balikai Spookfish Innovations
  • Kalpana Sankar Hand in Hand
  • Khushboo Jain ImpactGuru
  • Sneha Sundaram Kutuki, Jayanti Pradhan an agro-processor and farmer from Odisha
  • Jugnu Jain founder and CSO, of Sapien Biosciences
  • Pratyusha Pareddy NemoCare
  • Poonam BirKasturi Daily Dump
  • Ruchi Jain Taru Naturals
  • Sujata Sahu 17000 ft Foundation
  • Dr Praveen Nair Founder Trustee of Salaam Baalak Trust.
Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar Presents Awards to Divyang Artisans & Entrepreneurs
  • Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar, Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment presented awards to Divyangs artisan and entrepreneurs who participated in exhibition cum fair “Ekam fest” organized by National Handicapped Finance Development Corporation under M/o Social Justice & Empowerment.
  • 82 Divyang artisans and entrepreneurs from 17 States/UTs showcased their products in the week long Ekam Fest.
  • The Ekam fest gave platform to PwD artists to present their skill in the cultural evenings. In the Ekam Fest, Divyang Entrepreneur and artisans from all over the country.
  • The Fest presented vibrant products of from J&K and NE with products ranging from handicraft, handloom, Embroidery work and dry fruits.
  • In the fest, live demonstrations of products making were given by around 12 organisations and artisans which included: live demo of looms, embroidery, free and paintings, wheat grass paintings etc.
  • NHFDC provides financial assistance to the Divyangjan (Persons with Disabilities) for their economic rehabilitation and provides number of skill development programmes to empower them to grow & sustain their enterprises.
Odisha govt creates ‘Mission Shakti’ Dept for women development
  • Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the creation of a ”Mission Shakti” department, exclusively for the development of the women.
  • He announced that Odisha will be the first state to have an exclusive department for the self-help groups. This will be called the Department of Mission Shakti and will be dedicated to all the women of Odisha.
  • 70 lakh women are getting benefits under Mission Shakti and Mamata Scheme and 50 per cent reservation in Panchayati Raj has ushered in a new era for the socio-economic development of women.
  • He said that the state government has introduced an independent Nutrition Budget whose focus will be on mother-child nutrition.

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MARCH 10, 2020
10 schools in Kamrup (M) adopted under Rural Education Program
  • SRF Foundation in collaboration with the State Education Department has implemented its flagship Rural Education Programme in Dimoria block of Kamrup (M) district by adopting 10 government schools.
  • Under the Rural Education Programme, the SRF Foundation organised an event ‘Academic Mela and Stakeholders Felicitation’ for its 10 adopted government schools at Pub Dimoria ME School ground (Topatali).
  • Under the Rural Education Programme, the Academic Mela and Stakeholders Felicitation is to further motivate and enhance on sharing of innovative ideas, best practices and ensuring sustainable teaching-learning practices of the schools.
  • As many as 12 stalls were installed at the Mela by the students of 10 government schools demonstrating various creativity and innovations.
HAL plans to set up logistics bases in Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka
  • Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) is looking at setting up logistics bases in Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka as part of initiatives to woo the countries to buy India’s light combat aircraft Tejas and military helicopters.
  • Chairman and Managing Director of HAL R Madhavan said that HAL is now seriously focusing on boosting exports in sync with the government’s priority and identified South East Asia, West Asia and North Africa to sell key platforms like Tejas, attack helicopter Rudra and advanced light helicopter Dhruv.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set an ambitious defence export target of $5 billion dollars in the next five years and asked all the key military manufacturers to work hard to achieve the target.
MoST launches helpline for women scientists, students, researchers
  • On International Women’s Day, Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan launched a helpline number for women students, researchers, entrepreneurs and scientists to get their queries related to the ministry’s programmes answered.
  • They will also get information about qualifications or other requirements to avail benefits of schemes under the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST).
  • Launched by President Ram Nath Kovind last month, the Vigyan Jyoti scheme identifies girl students at the district level with interest in science.
  • Selected women from more than 500 districts, would be given opportunities to attend science camps at IITs, NITs and other leading institutions of science and technology education where women are not adequately represented.

MARCH 11, 2020

Indian states advised to invoke Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 on epidemics
  • To combat the coronavirus outbreak, the Central government decided that all states should be advised to invoke the necessary provisions of the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 to enforce all advisories.
  • It was decided that all states/UTs should be advised by the Union Health Ministry to invoke provisions of Section 2 of Epidemic Disease Act so that all advisories being issued from time to time by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare/State/UTs are enforceable.
  • Section 2 of the 1897 Act gives the power to take special measures and prescribe regulations as to dangerous epidemic disease.
  • It also gives the power for inspection of “persons travelling by railway or otherwise, and the segregation, in hospital, temporary accommodation or otherwise, of persons suspected by the inspecting officer of being infected with any such disease”.
Coronavirus outbreak could cost global economy up to USD 2 trillion, says UNCTAD
  • The coronavirus outbreak could cost the global economy up to USD 2 trillion this year, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said, warning that shock from the epidemic will cause a recession in some countries and depress global annual growth to below 2.5 per cent.
  • “We envisage a slowdown in the global economy to under two per cent for this year, and that will probably cost in the order of USD 1 trillion, compared with what people were forecasting back in September, Director, Division on Globalization and Development Strategies at UNCTAD Richard Kozul-Wright said.
  • The UN agency said that apart from the tragic human consequences of the COVID-19 epidemic, the economic uncertainty it has sparked will likely cost the global economy USD 1 trillion in 2020.
  • A preliminary downside scenario sees a USD 2 trillion shortfall in global income with a USD 220 billion hit to developing countries (excluding China). The most badly affected economies in this scenario will be oil-exporting countries, but also other commodity exporters, which stand to lose more than one percentage point of growth, as well as those with strong trade linkages to the initially shocked economies.
  • Growth decelerations between 0.7 per cent and 0.9 per cent are likely to occur in countries such as Canada, Mexico and the Central American region, in the Americas; countries deeply inserted in the global value chains of East and South Asia, and countries in the immediacy of the European Union.
  • Trade impact of the coronavirus epidemic for India is estimated to be about USD 348 million and the country figures among the top 15 economies most affected as slowdown of manufacturing in China disrupts world trade.
  • Slowdown of manufacturing in China due to the coronavirus outbreak is disrupting world trade and could result in a USD 50 billion decrease in exports across global value chains.
PV Sindhu named BBC Indian Sportswoman of Year
  • Indian badminton player PV Sindhu won the inaugural BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year award following a public vote.
  • The shortlist of five contenders also consisted of sprinter Dutee Chand, boxer Mary Kom, wrestler VineshPhogat and para-badminton player Manasi Joshi.
  • In 2019, Sindhu became the first Indian to win badminton World Championship gold in Basel, Switzerland.
  • She is considered a medal prospect at this year’s Olympics in Tokyo.
  • Sindhu has five World Championship medals and is the first Indian singles badminton player to win an Olympic silver medal.
  • The BBC award ceremony was held in New Delhi in the presence of eminent sportspersons, sports writers and influencers.
  • Former sprinter PT Usha was given the Lifetime Achievement award for her contribution to Indian sports and inspiring generations of players.
  • She won more than 100 international medals and awards during her career.
  • The Indian Olympics Association also named her Best Sportswoman of the Century.

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MARCH 12, 2020

World Health Organization declares Covid-19 as a pandemic
  • World Health Organization (WHO) has characterised the new coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic and a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
  • UN chief Antonio Guterres has urged world governments to urgently scale up their response to the novel coronavirus if they are to stand a chance of stemming its spread.
  • UN Secretary General said, the declaration of coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic is a call to action for everyone, everywhere.
  • It’s the first time the WHO has called an outbreak a pandemic since the H1N1 “swine flu” in 2009. In the last pandemic, the H1N1 influenza virus killed more than 18,000 people in more than 214 countries and territories, according to the WHO.

FACTFILE – Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the virus strain “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2” (SARS-CoV-2).
  • The disease was first identified in 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has since spread globally, resulting in the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic.
  • Common symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. As of 20 March 2020, the rate of deaths per number of diagnosed cases is 4.1%, but ranges from 0.2% to 15% depending on age and other health problems.
  • The infection is typically spread from one person to another via respiratory droplets produced during coughing and sneezing. Time from exposure to onset of symptoms is generally between 2 and 14 days, with an average of 5 days.
  • The standard method of diagnosis is by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) from a nasopharyngeal swab.
  • Recommended measures to prevent infection include frequent hand washing, maintaining distance from others (social distancing), and keeping hands away from the face. The use of masks is recommended for those who suspect they have the virus and their caregivers, but not the general public.
  • There is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for COVID-19. Management involves treatment of symptoms, supportive care, isolation, and experimental measures.
Govt has formed committee to finalise modalities of Kisan Rail
  • The government has formed a committee under the Ministry of Agriculture which also includes representatives of the Indian Railways to work out the modalities of ‘Kisan Rail’.
  • The committee has been formed under the aegis of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, which includes representative from Ministry of Railways also, to work out the modalities of ‘Kisan Rail’.
  • Nine such refrigerated vans were already available on its network.
  • These vans, with a carrying capacity of 17 tonnes each for transportation of highly-perishable parcel traffic, were developed and procured through the Rail Coach Factory at Kapurthala.
  • Temperature-controlled perishable cargo centres were commissioned at GhazipurGhat (UP), New Azadpur (Adarsh Nagar, Delhi) and Raja kaTalab (UP) as a pilot project under the Kisan Vision Project by Container Corporation of India Limited (CONCOR) through a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) initiative.
Himachal Pradesh signs pacts with World Bank to boost agriculture
  • The central government, the Himachal Pradesh government and the World Bank on Wednesday signed an $80 million loan agreement to improve water management practices and increase agricultural productivity in selected gram panchayats in the hill state.
  • The Integrated Project for Source Sustainability and Climate Resilient Rain-Fed Agriculture in Himachal Pradesh will be implemented in 428 gram panchayats in 10 districts, benefiting over 400,000 small-holder farmers, including women, and pastoral communities.
  • The loan agreement was signed by Khare on behalf of the government of India; Ram Subhag Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Forest), on behalf of the Himachal Pradesh government and Junaid Ahmad, Country Director, India, on behalf of the World Bank.
  • The project will improve upstream water sources in forests, pastures, and grasslands and ensure sufficient water is available for sustainable agriculture both in Himachal Pradesh and in downstream states.

MARCH 13, 2020

Assam’s innovator Uddhab Bharali to be part of Delhi School curriculum
  • Padma Shri Awardee and internationally acclaimed innovator Uddhab Bharali will be involved in the new school curriculum in Delhi, in a bid to change the mindset of the students.
  • Uddhab Bharali, who hails from North Lakhimpur, has been inducted in the Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum (EMC) programme for students of Class 9 to 12, which has been devised to connect knowledge to life outside school.
  • Developed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Delhi, the curriculum aims to build awareness and knowledge of various aspects of entrepreneurship among students. Over 1.5 lakh students from over 500 government schools in Delhi are part of the curriculum.
  • The curriculum tries to unleash the inner potential of the students, and aims to make them confident, creative and competent. The curriculum, which has no textbooks and is non-evaluative with no formal examination, aims to enable the students to become job-givers and not job-seekers, after completing their education.
  • The curriculum will give an opportunity to students to meet real-life entrepreneurs and understand their journey and struggles, and Bharali has been included among the icons in this new education system.
  • The objective of the interaction with Bharali is to inspire students with the journey of his entrepreneurship and learn about his dreams, opportunities, challenges and stories of overcoming the struggles.
  • Uddhab Bharali, who has 147 innovations, has been included along with E Sreedharan who built the Delhi Metro, street vendor-turned-entrepreneur Krishna Yadav who has a pickle business with around 2,000 employees, Flipkart founders Binny Bansal and Sachin Bansal, visually impaired Srikant Bolla who after repeated rejections by educational institutions in India joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and went on to found a startup called Bollant Industries, that has an eco-friendly product line and employs over 150 disabled individuals, and Dharampal Gulati of MDH spices.
Parliament passes Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill 2020
  • Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill 2020 has been passed by the Parliament with Rajya Sabha giving its nod.
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the current government is both responsive and is committed to deliver to its promises in tune with changing times.
  • She said that the amendments brought in by the government are a mechanism to incorporate viable changes in the legislation.
  • She emphasized on the importance of the ordinance before the bill and said that it was needed to avoid any hiatus.
  • The Minister said, as on 1st January of this year, out of around 43 thousand cases disposed off by National Company Law Tribunal, nearly 15 thousand cases were resolved based on Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
‘BaLA’ initiave launched at Hailakandi District of Assam
  • With the vision to ensure the learning outcome and make every child learn with fun, Deputy Commissioner KeerthiJalli ceremonially launched Building as Learning Aid (BaLA) at Greham MV School.
  • Launching BaLA, Deputy Commissioner Jalli said that the concept behind it is to make every child learn with fun in a conducive environment, in which he or she can relate to quickly.
  • She said that a child gets easily attracted to the world of colours and pictures and creating this ambience by making use of the school space aesthetically is the driving force behind BaLA.
  • BaLA is a tool to promote learning, curiosity, care and concern, wonder and lifelong learning.
  • It will help children to practice and revisit concepts. It also helps learning to take place everywhere – in the classroom, the corridor, the verandas, the outdoors, etc.
  • Its impact can be directly observed on Student Learning Outcome (SLO), teacher instruction practices and student enrolment
Women SHGs undergo mushroom cultivation training at CSIR-NEIST
  • CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology (CSIR-NEIST) at Pulibor observed International Women’s Day by organising a training programme on mushroom cultivation to women of self-help groups of nearby villages.
  • Training on mushroom cultivation was given to 30 members belonging to different SHGs.
  • Certificates were awarded to the women SHG members during a valedictory session held after the training session. 

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MARCH 14, 2020

Centre sanctions Rs 365 crore for ICP at Sabroom, Tripura
  • The Centre has sanctioned Rs 365 crore for setting up an Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Sabroom in South Tripura to tap the potential for boosting bilateral trade with Bangladesh.
  • Union Home Minister Amit Shah cleared the proposal for setting up the ICP under a ‘single scheme’ following a request made by Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.
  • During his last visit to Delhi, Deb met the Union Home Minister with a plea to set up an ICP at Sabroom, which could become a gateway to Southeast Asian nations for the North East.
  • Setting up of an ICP has become necessary as the bridge over the Feni river will connect the two sides of the international border. Once the bridge becomes operational, it will give easier access to the Chittagong Port in Bangladesh. This will increase trade manifold. Land Port Station (LCS) will be insufficient to handle bilateral trade once connectivity is established between Sabroom and Chittagong Port.
  • Earlier, the Union Ministry of Commerce had sanctioned a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Sabroom to boost trade and industry. The State, which shares 856-km border with Bangladesh, currently has one ICP at Akhaura, not far from the State capital.
Union Cabinet approved Yes Bank’s reconstruction plan
  • The Union Cabinet approved a reconstruction plan for cash-strapped Yes Bank, under which the State Bank of India will pick up 49 per cent of the equity, while private investors will be allowed to buy the rest.
  • The Cabinet decided that the SBI will hold at least 26 per cent stake in the private bank for a minimum period of three years.
  • Similarly, the other investors will also be mandated to have a similar lock-in period for 75 per cent of their investment in the bank.
  • The authorised share capital of the Yes Bank will be revised upwards from Rs 1,100 crore to Rs 6,200 crore.
  • The office of the administrator shall also stand vacated after seven days from the cessation of moratorium and the new Board will take over the bank.
  • Prashant Kumar, former SBI CFO, is the current administrator.
CCEA approved rehabilitation and upgradation of Green National Highways Corridor Project (GNHCP)
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs CCEA approved rehabilitation and upgradation of 780 kms of roads under Green National Highways Corridor Project (GNHCP) in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
  • The approval involves investment of Rs 7,662.47 crore which includes a loan component of Rs 3,500 crore ($500 million). The loan assistance of the World Bank will be under GNHCP.
  • Green Corridor projects are the ones where cement is used for road construction while there are other parameters of greening the highway with tree line on both sides and extensive use of plastic, fly ash, demolition waste and other reusable products.
  • Apart from upgradation of the two-lane, and four-lane highways, the project also includes the maintenance of these stretches for five years (in the case of flexible pavement) and 10 years (in the case of rigid pavement) after completion of construction.
  • The construction period for the project stretches will be 2 to 3 years.
Parliament passes Vivad Se Vishwas Bill for settlement of Direct Tax disputes
  • Parliament has passed the Vivad Se Vishwas Bill, 2020 the bill provides a waiver on interest, penalty and prosecution for settlement of Direct Tax disputes.
  • It grants a complete waiver on interest and penalty when the disputed amount is paid before 31st of this month, and provisions an additional 10 percent of the disputed amount in cases where the settlement is made by 30th June of this year.
  • Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharam said, all steps will be taken by the government to reduce the tax litigation on a priority basis.
  • She assured that the discretion of tax authorities will be reduced by faceless assessment driven by technology.
  • Tax-related disputes in the country amounting to over 9 lakh crore rupees is pending against over 4 lakh litigations in various appellate forums.
  • Sitharaman assured that the provisions of this bill provide absolute immunity for prosecutions under the Income Tax Act to the appellant once the dispute is resolved. She, however, clarified that it only governs disputes related to Direct Tax and not litigations related to wealth tax.
IIM Shillong team wins Guwahati edition of Tata quiz
  • Akash Verma and Akshay Vinayak Desai from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong emerged victorious in the Guwahati edition of Tata Crucible Campus Quiz 2020.
  • A total of 73 teams battled it out in the city-level finale for the top honours held.
  • The winners took home a cash prize of Rs 75,000 and they will compete in the zonal round to qualify for the national finale.
  • Prasant Bose and SubhraneelAcharjee from Assam Engineering College, Guwahati, were declared runners-up, winning a cash prize of Rs 35,000.
  • The theme for this year’s quiz was ‘Industry 4.0’. Noted quiz master Giri Balasubramaniam hosted the quiz.

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Assam Current Affairs – March 01 – 07, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – March 1 - 7, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of March 1 – 7, 2020 )

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MARCH 01, 2020

Assam targets 400 MW of solar power within 2 years
  • The government is planning to harness around 400 MW of grid-connected solar power through developers in about two years’ time.
  • In Phase I, the power utility is developing five projects totalling 100 MW through private entities under ‘Built, Own, Operate’ mode in five locations of the State.
  • M/s Azure Power is developing three 25 MW solar projects at Rowta, Boko and LalangkittaLabocpar (Cachar) and another of 16 MW at Samaguri, Nagaon.
  • A 10 MW solar project is also being developed by M/s Maheswari Mining at Padumoni, Nagaon. 
  • The APDCL will purchase power from them and the rates have been fixed through reverse auction.
  • The APGCL is developing the 70 MW Amguri solar project, the work order for which has been given.
  • The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has sanctioned a 70 MW solar plant in Dima Hasao, while the Solar Energy Corporation of India has allotted a 30 MW project for Assam under the VGF scheme for supply of power to Central PSUs.
MoS Jitendra Singh launches Pension Adalat & NPS Awareness and Grievance Redressal Programme in Jammu
  • Union Minister of State (independent charge) Jitendra Singh inaugurated the Pension Adalat and National Pension System (NPS) Awareness and Grievance Redressal Programme at the Convention Centre.
  • The redressal programme is being conducted by the Department of Pension and Pensioners” Welfare, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India.
  • The minister also launched the “Do You Know” Twitter series on family pension, along with a booklet highlighting case studies with interpretation of pension rules.
  • The minister said that Pension Adalats will help in on-the-spot redressal of pensioners” grievances which will give the right of “ease of living” to the pensioners.
MOU between Indian Air Force and Savitribai Phule Pune University for academic collaboration
  • As a unique initiative of Indian Air Force. the IAF and SavitribaiPhule Pune University entered into an academic collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a ‘Chair of Excellence’ at Department of Defence & Strategic Studies.
  • To pay tribute to the legend and commemorate the centenary birth year of the MIAF, the IAF has named it as “Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Chair of Excellence”.
  • The Chair will enable IAF officers to pursue Doctoral Research and higher studies in Defence & Strategic Studies and allied fields.
  • The chair will facilitate research and higher studies in the area of National Defence and allied fields of Air Force officers.
  • The chair would facilitate inculcating astrategic outlook and building a pool of strategic thinkers.
Centre to skill women for jobs in auto sector at IIT Haryana
  • A training centre for skilling women to get jobs in the automobile sector was inaugurated at the IIT in Ambala in Haryana.
  • The centre in the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) has been set up by Hero MotoCorp Ltd in association with the state”s Skill Development and Industrial Training Department and the United Nations Development Programme.
  • Industrial skilling to women students would be ensured through fully functional technician training labs.
  • The centre will also train students to drive two-wheelers to ensure their mobility.
  • With the objective of ”Hunar se kamyabitak”, Hero MotoCorp has so far imparted skilling to over 20,000 people through state-of-the-art skill development centres across the country.

 

MARCH 02, 2020
PM Modi launches campaign for setting up of 10,000 FPOs
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a campaign to set up 10,000 new farmer producer organisations (FPOs) across the country in the next five years.
  • Modi said a new FPO will be set up to increase the income of the farmers and to empower them. This will enable the farmers to market and process the crops along with producing them. Rs 5,000 crore will be spent on this in the next five years.
  • Modi also distributed Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to 10 beneficiary farmers of PM-Kisan.
  • The KCCs are being distributed to farmers from 28,000 branches of banks across the country as part of a special campaign by the government to provide KCC facilities to all beneficiaries of PM-Kisan.
ICAR inks MoU with Patanjali Bio Research Institute, Haridwar
  • The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Patanjali Bio Research Institute (PBRI), Haridwar at the National Agricultural Science Centre Complex, New Delhi.
  • TrilochanMohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) and Shri Acharya Balkrishna, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Patanjali& Managing Director, PBRI inked the MoU on the behalf of their respective organizations.
  • As per the MoU, the specific work plans will be developed to work on the collaborative research programmes in the areas of national interest related to sustainable agriculture development suitable to different agro-ecologies of the country.
  • Under the MoU, the ICAR and PBRI will collaborate in mutually identified areas of training and education where the Post Graduate students of Deemed Universities & Research Institutes of ICAR may undertake internships in various areas of specialization with PBRI.
  • The ICAR will support PBRI in technology demonstration, capacity building, seed production for scaling up of the popular varieties developed by the ICAR and transferring them among the farming community of the country.
  • The MoU aims to foster the close interaction in research, capacity building, seed production, entrepreneurship and skill development.  
New explosive detection device, developed by DRDO &IISc Bangalore, unveiled in Pune
  • RaIDer-X, a new explosive detection device, was unveiled at the National Workshop on Explosive Detection (NWED-2020) in Pune.
  • RaIDer-X has the capability to detect explosives from a stand-off distance.
  • The data library can be built in the system to expand its capability to detect a number of explosives in pure form as well as with the contaminants.
  • Bulk explosive in concealed condition can also be detected by the device.RaIDer-X has been co-developed by High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) Puneand Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.          
  • The NWED-2020 was inaugurated by Secretary, Department of Defence Research &Developmentand Chairman Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) Dr G Satheesh Reddy.
  • The two-day workshop has been organised by HEMRL Puneon its diamond jubilee celebration. HEMRL
  • It provides a platform to scientists, technocrats and users to share knowledge, experience and updated information on the technological advancements made in the recent past.
  • The workshop will help in the further development of explosive detection devices and keep abreast on the recent development and advancements in the field of explosive detection.
Bimal Julka appointed Chief Information Commissioner (CIC)
  • Information Commissioner Bimal Julka was appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office to Julka as the CIC in the Central Information Commission at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
  • The transparency watchdog has been functioning without a chief after Sudhir Bhargava retired on January 11 and is at a reduced strength of six information commissioners, against the sanctioned strength of 11 (including the CIC).

FACTFILE – Central Information Commission

  • The Central Information Commission is a statutory body, set up under the Right to Information Act in 2005 under the Government of India to act upon complaints from those individuals who have not been able to submit information requests to a Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer due to either the officer not have been appointed, or because the respective Central Assistant Public Information Officer or State Assistant Public Information Officer refused to receive the application for information under the Right to Information Act.
  • The commission includes one chief information commissioner and not more than ten information commissioners who are appointed by the President of India on the recommendation of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister as Chairperson, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha; a Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister.

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MARCH 03, 2020
Rs 33 crore sanctioned for Kaziranga under Project Tiger scheme
  • Financial assistance to the tune of Rs 1.51 crore has been sanctioned to Kaziranga National Park during the financial years 2018-19 and 2019-2020 under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).
  • Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Babul Supriyo said that Rs 94,46,585 and Rs 51,24,670 were sanctioned to Kaziranga National Park during the financial years 2018-19 and 2019-2020 respectively under CAMPA.
  • Under the Project Tiger scheme, financial assistance of Rs 10.30 crore and Rs 22.81 crore were also sanctioned during the financial years 2018-19 and 2019-20 respectively to Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, which includes Kaziranga National Park.
  • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provides financial assistance to Assam for management of wildlife in national parks and sanctuaries, including for protection of animals during flood under schemes such as Development of Wildlife Habitats, Project Tiger and CAMPA.
  • Highlands and platforms have also been constructed in national parks to give shelter to animals during high flood.
  • Anti-poaching camps in strategic locations have also been constructed with sufficient armed guards, besides deployment of boats during flood and use of modern technologies like ‘electronic eye’ for smart patrolling.
European Investment Bank, UNEP sign pact to enhance climate actions
  • The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) agreed to deepen their cooperation to enhance climate and environmental actions.
  • The memorandum of understanding was signed in Brussels at a meeting between Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNEP, Inger Andersen, and EIB Vice President responsible for Climate Action and Environment, Emma Navarro.
  • The focus of the strategic cooperation will be on climate change, conservation, protection, enhancement and support of nature and natural resources, including biological diversity worldwide and circular economy.
  • Priority will be identification of a new pipeline of investment projects in the field of environment and climate change.
  • Science, policy responses and investments need to go hand-in-hand. This strategic partnership between UNEP and EIB comes at a crucial time, when scaling up financing for these transformations is essential.
IIT Mandi to set up farmer producer bodies in Himachal Pradesh
  • The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi and Enabling Women of Kamand (EWOK) Society will collaborate on setting up farmer producer organisations in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh.
  • The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 35 lakhs to IIT Mandi and EWOK Society to promote and set up three farmer producer organisations in three years.
  • IIT Mandi will provide its expertise in tourism, rural marts run by self-help groups, engineering solutions for farm-friendly equipment, research on the impact of climate change on agriculture incomes, among others.
  • The EWOK has been working with the women and families in Kamand area in both farm and non-farm sectors to encourage women entrepreneurs at the grassroots.
  • In the farm-related activities, along with IIT Mandi Medicinal Plant Laboratory, some successful pilot programmes have been run for the past two years.
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways launches IRAD System
  • Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has launched Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD) System.
  • The primary purpose of IRAD is to enhance road safety, and thus endeavors to generate various types of insights through the Analytics Dashboard, Trend Analysis etc. and therefore, decision making by Apex Authorities.
  • The six states identified for piloting the project are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
PM Modi lays foundation stone for Bundelkhand Expressway in Chitrakoot
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays foundation stone for Bundelkhand Expressway in Chitrakoot, distributes nearly 56,000 assistive aids to Divyang-jans and senior citizens at a Mega Camp in Prayagraj.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a SamajikAdhikaritaShivir organised by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment at Prayagraj.
  • PM Modi interacted with divyangajans at the event which turned out as the biggest ever distribution camp being conducted in the country in terms of the number of beneficiaries covered and number of appliances distributed.
  • PM Modi also distributed 56000 Assistive Aids and Devices of different types to 26000 Senior Citizens and Divyangjans.
  • The cost of aids and devices is over 19 crore. Assistive Aids and devices will help in enhancing economic development of these beneficiaries.

MARCH 04, 2020

President confers 61st Annual Lalit Kala Akademi Awards
  • The President of India, Shri Ram NathKovind, conferred the 61st annual Lalit Kala Akademi Awards on 15 meritorious artists at a function held at RashtrapatiBhavan.
  • Artwork of these artists will be on display till March 22, 2020, at the 61st National Exhibition of Art at the Lalit Kala Akademi galleries in New Delhi.
  • Lalit Kala Akademi organises art exhibitions and award ceremonies every year to promote art as well as to honour talents.
  • The exhibition brings together the works of brilliance from across the country and also encourages budding art talents to learn new tendencies and mediums in the world of painting, sculpture, graphics, photography, drawing, installation and multimedia etc.
  • The National Lalit Kala Akademi awards are conferred to recognize individuals for their outstanding work in the field of art. The awardees are selected by an esteemed panel of judges, nominated by the Akademi.
  • The awardees were honoured with a shawl, plaque and cash prize worth Rs 1 lakh.

 

List of winners of 61st annual National Lalit Kala Akademi Awards

S. No. Award Winner State
1 Anoop Kumar Manzukhi Gopi Thrissoor, Kerala
2 David Malakar Kolkata, West Bengal
3 Devendra Kumar Khare Vadodara, Gujarat
4 Dinesh Pandya Mumbai, Maharashtra
5 Faruque Ahmed Halder Kolkata, West Bengal
6 Hari Ram Kumbhawat Jaipur, Rajasthan
7 Keshari Nandan Prasad Jaipur, Rajasthan
8 Mohan Kumar T Bengaluru, Karnataka
9 Ratan Krishna Saha Mumbai, Maharashtra
10 Sagar Vasant Kamble Mumbai, Maharashtra
11 Satwinder Kaur New Delhi
12 Sunil Thiruvayur Ernakulam, Kerala
13 Tejaswi Narayan Sonawane Solapur, Maharashtra
14 Yashpal Singh Delhi
15 Yashwant Singh Delhi

FACTFILE –  Lalit Kala Akademi

  • The Lalit Kala Akademi, the National Academy of Artswas set up by the central government as an autonomous body on August 5, 1954.
  • The Akademi received statutory authority in 1957 under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
  • The Akademi aims to involve all genres of creativity in its activities and has a vision that takes care of both traditional Indian art as well as contemporary art by helping artists imbibe many contemporary happenings in the international art scene.
Ajay Bhushan Pandey appointed to be the new Finance Secretary
  • The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the designation of Ajay Bhushan Pandey as the new Finance Secretary.
  • Pandey, currently the Revenue Secretary in the Union Finance Ministry, will replace incumbent Rajiv Kumar.
  • A 1984 batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, he is known for his work with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and has also served as Chairman of Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN).
  • Pandey had taken charge as the Revenue Secretary in November 2018, replacing Hasmukh Adhia who was to retire at the end of the month.
Shafey Kidwai gets Sahitya Akademi Award
  • Noted bilingual critic, scholar and columnist, Professor Shafey Kidwai has received the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award (2019) for his seminal Urdu work ”Sawanah-e-Sir Syed – EkBazdeed”.
  • The book seeks to revisit the biographical details and literary accomplishments of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and it supplements what has escaped the attention of many biographers of Sir Syed including Khawaja Altaf Husain Hali.
  • Prof Kidwai, also Chairman, Department of Mass Communication, has been honoured with Madya Pradesh government”s prestigious award ”Iqbal Samman” in 2016 and Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy”s ”Amir Khusro Award” in 2018.
  • The SahityaAkademi has published his monograph on R.K. Narayan in 2009.
  • He has translated several books from English into Urdu including ”Michael Madhusudan Dutt” (1995) and ”Our Constitution” (2009). His book ”Khabar Nigari” (1988) is the first on the art of reporting in Urdu.
Mamata launches new housing scheme “Snehaloy” for poor people
  • West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a new housing scheme “Snehaloy” for poor people, under which the beneficiaries will receive Rs 1.20 lakh each from the state government to build houses.
  • The scheme is for those economically backward people who don’t qualify for the state government’s present housing scheme Bangle AwasYojana.
  • The money would be given in two tranches.
TN launches Rs 2,857 crore for TN Health System Reform Programme
  • Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami launched the Rs 2,857 crore Tamil Nadu Health System Reform Programme (TNHSRP).
  • The five-year programme focusses on three key areas — improved quality of care, management of non-communicable diseases & injuries, and reduced equity gaps in reproductive and child health.
  • Under the programme, quality certification of the government hospitals will also be undertaken, which will help improve the medical service.
  • It will focus on diagnosing non-communicalble diseases, like diabetes, cancer, blood pressure, breast cancer and psychological disorders at an early stage.
  • Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam said for the scheme Rs 1,999 crore would be the share of World Bank loan and the rest be provided by the state government.

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MARCH 05, 2020

Bongaigaon Refinery starts making BS-VI fuels
  • Bongaigaon Refinery, the ninth refinery of Indian Oil located at Dhaligaon in Chirang district, has been successfully producing BS (Bharat Standard)-VI motor spirit (petrol) since December 2019 and has set a target to produce BS-VI high-speed diesel by April 1, to match the government’s Auto Fuel Quality Vision Policy 2025.
  • The content of sulphur in BS-IV fuels is 50 parts per million (ppm) while in BS-VI grade fuels, it is 10 ppm.
  • The production of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) will be increased when the newly installed Indane Maximisation (INDMAX) unit in the refinery becomes fully functional.
  • Steps are being taken to increase the capacity of machinery units so that high-valued petroleum products can be made considering the demand in the market, this development will definitely bring better industrial prospects in the next 5-6 years in the entire region of lower Assam.
  • BGR has been maintaining anti-pollution measures strictly while discharging effluent and gaseous substances.
BRICS CCI announces launch of women’s wing
  • The BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BRICS CCI) has announced the launch of the BRICS CCI Women’s Wing with focus on women empowerment initiatives and policies across geographies.
  • The objective of the women’s wing is to create an enabling support system for women entrepreneurs and professionals across geographies.
  • Founded in 2012, BRICS CCI is empanelled with NITI Aayog and recognized by the United Nations.
  • While the BRICS nations will remain at the centre of all activities, the chamber has taken in its credo to reach out to and enable young entrepreneurs from other friendly nations too and bring stakeholders associated with women entrepreneurship across key countries under one platform.
  • The BRICS CCI Women’s wing will be led by ShabanaNasim, Governing Body Member, BRICS CCI, Shormishtha Ghosh, Director — Business Advisory, BRIC CCI and Ruby Sinha, Convenor, BRICS CCI Women”s wing and Honourary Advisor BRICS CCI.
  • One stop knowledge hub for women entrepreneurs globally, shetatwork.com will be the knowledge partner for the BRICS CCI Women”s wing.
  • An eminent advisory board comprising eminent women professionals from across countries is also being set up.
Govt launches amnesty scheme for late filings by LLPs
  • The government launched an amnesty scheme for condonation of delays in filings of documents by limited liability partnership (LLPs) firms.
  • The move is meant to make life easier for businesses who have been facing problems due to non-filing of returns.
  • It has been decided to give a one-time relaxation in additional fee to the defaulting LLPs to make good their default by filing pending documents and to serve as a compliant LLP in future.
  • The scheme – ”LLP Settlement Scheme, 2020”, will come into force on March 16 and shall remain in operation till June 13.
  • During the period, there would be one-time condonation of delay in filing statutorily required documents with the Registrar.
  • To reduce the burden on LLPs, they would be required to pay only Rs 10 as additional fee for each day delay in filing documents as against the earlier practice of Rs 100 for each day of delay.
  • The penalty on delayed filing will also be capped to a maximum of Rs 5,000 providing relief to LLPs, some of whom have not filed their documents for years.
  • LLPs are unique corporate structure that allows the flexibility of a partnership firm and advantages of limited liability of a company at a low compliance cost. Around 1.5 lakh LLPs are registered in India and about 1.3 lakh are active firms.
Union Cabinet approved consolidation of public sector into 4 big banks
  • The Union Cabinet approved the mega consolidation in public sector banks (PSBs) with effect from April 1, under which 10 state-run banks would be transformed into 4 big banks.
  • It also approved the scheme of merger submitted by the banks concerned which will be part of the process.
  • The amalgamations will enable creation of digitally driven consolidated banks with global heft and business synergies.
  • The amalgamation would result in creation of seven large PSBs with scale and national reach with each amalgamated entity having a business of over Rs 8 lakh crore.
  • The mega consolidation would help create banks with scale comparable to global banks and capable of competing effectively in India and globally.
Lok  Sabha passes Direct Tax ”Vivad se Vishwas” bill
    • Lok Sabha passed direct tax amnesty scheme Vivad se Vishwas bill. With mounting tax disputes, the government has had in Union budget come up with No Dispute but Trust Scheme (Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme) to settle the direct tax disputes.
    • Under the proposed amnesty scheme, a taxpayer would be required to pay only the amount of the disputed taxes and will get complete waiver of interest and penalty provided he pays the amount by March 31, 2020.
    • For disputed penalty, interest and fee not connected with the disputed tax, the taxpayer would be required to pay only 25 per cent of the same for settling the dispute.
    • A taxpayer shall be required to pay 110 per cent of the disputed tax (the excess 10 per cent shall be limited to the amount of related penalty and interest, if any) and 30 per cent of penalty, interest and fees in case of payment after March 31, 2020.
    • Those who avail this scheme after March 31, 2020 will have to pay some additional amount. The scheme will remain open till June 30, 2020.

 

MARCH 06, 2020

NABL accreditation status to State Public Health Laboratory, Assam
  • Minister of State for Health Piyush Hazarika formally inaugurated the NABL-accreditation status, sophisticated instruments facility of the State Public Health Laboratory, Assam and Food Safety on Wheels of the Commissionerate of Food Safety.
  • NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accreditation is the recognition that the laboratory is competent to carry out analysis works as per international standards.
  • The Bamunimaidam-based state public laboratory is the only state food testing laboratory in the entire North East and sixth in the country to be accredited by NABL.
  • Section 43 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 makes it mandatory for all food testing laboratories to be accredited.
  • Three highly sophisticated instruments have been provided by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) under a Central sector scheme.
  • The total cost of the instruments is approximately Rs. 8.50 crore.
4th Edition of the Women Transforming India Awards 2019
  • NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform is organising the Fourth Edition of the Women Transforming India Awards (WTI) on International Women’s Day.
  • The WTI will recognize 30 finalists and 15 winners will be felicitated. On this occasion, the Women Entrepreneurship Platform also completes two years since its inception.
  • The Women Transforming India Awards, instituted four years ago, is NITI Aayog’sendeavourto recognise and celebrate stories of exceptional women changemakers from across India.
  • Since 2018, the Women Transforming India Awards have been hosted under the aegis of the Women Entrepreneurship Platform on the theme of ‘Women and Entrepreneurship’.
  • The fifteen winners were chosen from a pool of more than 2,300applicants.
  • The Women Entrepreneurship Platform undertook an elaboratefive-month long process to identify inspiring stories of women entrepreneurs who are breaking the glass ceiling.
  • This process included a review of applications, jury and super jury roundswith assistance from mentors and partners of Women Entrepreneurship Platform.
  • The Women Entrepreneurship Platform seeks to transform the entrepreneurial ecosystem for women by bringing together stakeholders to offer information and services that will resolve the existing information asymmetry.
ARCI develops Fuel Cell Technology for Disaster Management
  • Scientists at International Advanced Research for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad, an autonomous R&D Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST) have developed Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cells (PEMFC).
  • PEMFC, in its entireness, have an advantage of operational capability at low-temperatures with applications in decentralised power generation systems.
  • Through intense R&D efforts in the area of fuel cell technologies, ARCI at its Centre for Fuel Cell Technology, Chennai has developed in-house PEMFC systems in the power range of 1 to 20 kiloWatt (kW).
  • The Government of Tamil Nadu decided to look at the prospect of converting the existing Control Room to EOC backed with 10 kW system along with fuel cell stack, air moving sub systems, power control devices and control and monitoring system.
  • ARCI demonstrated feasibility of providing power to EOCs. PEMFC stack with capacity of 5kW has been installed on mobile truck and demonstrated at Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNSDMA).
  • J. Radhakrishnan, Commissioner, Revenue Administration and Disaster Management witnessed the demo and appreciated the prowess of PEMFC technology.
  • ARCI is now planning to set up a PEMFC system up to 10 kW capacity at Tamil Nadu State Emergency Operation Centre (TN SEOC) to operate the systems like early warning systems, VHF set, IP phone, BSNL Ethernet and office equipment like scanner, computers, printers, phone, FAX and normal requirements like lighting and fan.
World Bank announces 12billion aid to combat coronavirus outbreak
  • World Bank has unveiled a 12 billion dollar aid package that will provide fast-track funds to help countries combat the coronavirus outbreak.
  • The funds, some of which are targeted to the world’s poorest nations, can be used for medical equipment or health services and will include expertise and policy advice.
  • World Bank President David Malpass said the money will go to countries that request help. The bank has been in contact with many member nations.

 

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MARCH 07, 2020

Assam Lunches free dedicated bus service ‘BhramanSarathi’ for women, elderly
  • The State government announced a new scheme named ‘BhramanSarathi’ under which free and dedicated bus services will be provided for women and senior citizens within Guwahati.
  • Finance Minister HimantaBiswaSarma said the new scheme will not only ensure safe and comfortable travel but will also encourage them to use public transportation instead of private vehicles.
  • These buses, painted in pink colour, will be on some of the busiest routes through the day and will provide fast, safe and easy mobility to the women and the senior citizens.
  • The ASTC will provide free ride to unemployed youths for appearing in various examinations and job interviews.
  • The call letter and the date therein, provided for the interview will be considered as bus ticket for this purpose and the bus conductor will ensure free ride for these youths once a photocopy of the same is handed over to him.
  • The cost accrued against such free ride will be reimbursed to ASTC so that the financial health of ASTC is not compromised while implementing these schemes.
National Maritime Search and Rescue Workshop and Exercise ‘SAREX-2020’
  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was roped into the ongoing National Maritime Search and Rescue Workshop and Exercise (SAREX-2020) organised by the Indian Coast Guard off the coast of Goa.
  • 31 resource agencies, including the armed forces and other civilian agencies participated in the exercise, which was aimed at enhancing maritime search and rescue capabilities.
  • Utilised the services of ISRO for providing satellite images and other requirements
  • Maritime search and rescue operations continue to remain a challenge amid increasing maritime and fishing activity, which is further convoluted by frequent cyclones in Indian waters as well as incidents of plane disasters over the seas.
  • The exercise involved mass rescue operation of 220 personnel with the help of combined assets of multi-agencies including the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Customs and other state government agencies like the Captain of Ports and Marine Police.
  • The search and rescue exercise was co-ordinated by the ICG which is India’s nodal agency for maritime search and rescue operations.
Google India launches skill programme designed for women
  • Google India introduced DigiPivot, a skilling programme designed for women who are looking to return to their corporate careers after a break or simply planning to make mid career shifts to digital marketing.
  • Developed jointly in association with Avtar, a career portal service for women, and the Indian School of Business, the programme aims to influence the overall gender mix in the digital marketing landscape in India and will provide an opportunity for 200 women professionals to re-skill themselves.
  • Selected participants will go through a curated 18 week learning programme and engagement (both offline and online) that aims to empower the participants with digital marketing knowledge and tools as well as mentorship on strategic leadership skills.
  • The programme will culminate in a day long Graduation event at the Google Hyderabad Campus on August 28.
  • The programme is open to both women professionals who are currently working and those who are keen to return to the workforce with 4-10 years of experience in consulting, analytics, branding and sales and support with passion for digital marketing.
  • The programme is completely sponsored by Google and does not require participants to contribute to any registration, participation, travel or accommodation fees.

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Assam Current Affairs – February 22 – 29, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – February 22 - 29, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of February 22 – 29, 2020 )

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FEBRUARY 22, 2020

Assam CM lays foundation of 32 schemes in Majuli
  • Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stones of 32 schemes and projects and inaugurated 21 other projects in Majuli island that included the blood bank at the Shree Shree Pitmambar Devagoswami Sub-divisional Civil Hospital at Garmur.
  • The Rs 25.92-crore Majuli District Science Centre and Planetarium under Assam Technology and Environment Council of the State Science and Technology department, 28 pure drinking water supply schemes under the State Public Health Engineering department that will cost Rs 104.9 crore
  • Construction of the building to house District Transport Officer’s office that will cost Rs 2.03 crore.
  • Zonal office complex of the Brahmaputra Board at a cost of Rs 9.46 crore, a Rs-75-lakh project to check erosion by drone surveillance.
  • The Chief Minister in the same function launched 20 hybrid solar-powered and electricity irrigation schemes for Majuli the total cost which was Rs 37.53 lakh
  • Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated the blood bank at the Shree Shree Pitambar Devagoswami Sub-divisional Civil Hospital at Garmur.
18 percent growth in the collection of  State GST (SGST) in Assam
  • Speaking at the 3rd edition of ‘Emerging Northeast 2020’ – organized by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) in Guwahati, Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said there is 18 percent growth in the collection of State GST (SGST) in the state and refunds have been made on time.
  • CM Sonowal urged the Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman to release the Central GST (CGST) and Integrated GST (IGST) refunds so that business community here gets encouragement to increase business activity.
  • Assam Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary invited investors to take advantage of Assam’s strategic location and rich resources in the state and said the Government is aiming to turn Assam as the investment destination.
  • During the round table meet, discussions were held on government initiatives and schemes for development of North Eastern region; opportunities for investment in various sectors like energy, services and infrastructure, food processing based on locally available resources, etc.
India, Maldives discuss expansion of bilateral cooperation
  • India and Maldives discussed expanding their bilateral cooperation and mutual interests in areas of security and law enforcement cooperation.
  • Union Home Minister Amit Shah and his Maldivian counterpart Sheikh Imran Abdulla discussed these issues among other specific points related to both the countries in day long meet in presence of delegation from both sides.
  • It was Shah’s first meeting with Abdulla, who is on a four-day visit to India beginning.
  • The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest in the area of security and law enforcement cooperation.
  • Both the Ministers welcomed the expansion of bilateral cooperation between their counties in diverse fields including policing and law enforcement, counter-terrorism, counter-radicalisation, against organised crime and drug trafficking and in capacity building.
  • The meeting was also attended by the Maldives” Minister of State for Home, the Union Home Secretary and other senior officers from both sides.
  • The Maldivian delegation also met the Director General, National Investigation Agency (NIA), Director, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the Director General, Central Bureau of Investigation, and Director, Enforcement Directorate.
Kerala IT startup launches social digital assistance platform
  • Kerala based IT startup launched a ”social digital assistance platform” – Bitdle.
  • This brings together the features of hybrid social networking, search engine, social shopping, sharing economy, online reputation building, CRM, data analytics, social service, entertainment, and above all, ”empowerment of society”.
  • Its Acore competency will be its social commitment as it will not end up making its users just consumers, killing time and other resources along.
  • Bitdle will deliver a wise concoction of hybrid virtual community platform, smart devices, virtual med pad, AI and VR (Intelligent Personal Assistance – IPA) and Facial and Object Identification System (FOIS).
  • Bitdle targets people in the age group of 18 to 35 while it”s ideal for businesses of any size – from startups to big corporates.
  • Connecting with peers, monitoring real-time situations and events, offer entertainment, collaborating ideas and events, educating masses, mobilizing public opinion and instant messaging/video chatting are some of the add-ons, besides people can spot trends, follow brands, share great finds and make purchases.
  • For businesses, the application can be used for optimization of costs, targeted marketing of products, targeted sourcing and human resources development.
FEBRUARY 23, 2020
Dr Amiya Rajbongshi receives NCSTC National Award
  • Eminent science writer and retired vice-Principal of North Lakhimpur College Dr Amiya Rajbongshi received the National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science and Technology Communication through Print Media for the year 2019 from President Ram Nath Kovind at New Delhi.
  • Instituted by the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), the award was presented to Dr Rajbongshi at a glittering function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on the occasion of National Science Day– the day which commemorates the discovery of Raman Effect by Nobel laureate physicist Dr CV Raman.
  • Dr Amiya Rajbongshi was presented a plaque, a citation and a of cash Rs 2 lakh.
  • Dr Rajbongshi was shortlisted for the prestigious award for her “science communication efforts are extended for dissemination of science to masses through print media and popular talks”.
Assam to remove “Maktab” from names of govt schools
  • The Assam government has decided to delete the Arabic word ”maktab” – traditional islamic elementary school – from the nomenclature of 63 state and state-aided primary schools immediately.
  • The state government has passed an order directing these schools to drop the word ”maktab” from their names”.
  • However, these schools would be allowed to retain the remaining part of their names.
  • The classical definition of Maktab refers to the traditional Islamic elementary school primarily teaching literacy and the Quran.
Scientists from BSI Shillong Centre discover new Balsam plant species
  • Botanical Survey of India (BSI) scientists have discovered a new species of Balsam plant in the North East region, again pointing to the rich plant biodiversity of the vast area.
  • Balsam plants are known as Demdeuka in Assamese, Gulmehendi in Hindi and Dushparijat in Sanskrit.
  • They have immense potential in the horticultural sector as beautiful flowers and as pot plants.
  • A few of them are used as wild leafy vegetables by different ethnic communities in states like Arunachal Pradesh.
  • A team of scientists comprising Dr M Murugesan, LR Meitei and C Lyngwa of the BSI Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong, collected a few interesting species of Balsam plants from various parts of Nokrek Biosphere Reserve of Garo Hills in Meghalaya.
  • They collected the Balsam plant species as a part of live plants collection for ex-situ conservation in the Barapani Experimental Botanical Garden.
  • Out of those samples, one species emerged to be a species unknown to science so far and it is distinctly different from all known species of the group due to the presence of smaller habit, pink and white bi-colour flowers and true bucciniform lower sepal with curved spur.
  • The species has been named in honour of a renowned botanist Professor Shasin Kumar Barthakur of the Gauhati University (GU) Botany Department for his contribution towards better understanding of the flora of North East India, along with his outstanding contribution to ethnobotany of the region.
  • This striking bi-coloured new species grows at an altitude ranging between 1,200 metres and 1,600 metres at the Nokrek peak.
PM  Modi opens Khelo India University Games in Cuttack
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the first Khelo India University Games in Cuttack.
  • Modi inaugurated the Games at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack through video link from Delhi.
  • The Khelo India campaign had played an important role in attracting youth towards sports and recognising young talents in every corner of the country.
  • When it started in 2018, 3,500 players took part in it. But just in three years, the players” number had crossed over 6,000.
  • The event was attended by several dignitaries and sportspersons, including Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
  • As many as 3,400 athletes from 159 universities will take part in 17 disciplines, including rugby that”s among the six team events.
  • The disciplines include archery, athletics, boxing, fencing, judo, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, badminton, basketball, football, hockey, table tennis, tennis, volleyball and kabaddi.

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FEBRUARY 24, 2020
Punjab CM conferred with ”Adarsh Mukhya Mantri Puraskar”
  • The Bhartiya Chhatra Sansad (BCS) conferred the prestigious ”Adarsh Mukhya Mantri Puraskar” (Ideal Chief Minister Award) on Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for his initiatives to ensure good governance and holistic development in the state.
  • The award was presented to Amarinder by former President Pranab Mukherjee at Vigyan Bhawan during the valedictory function of 10th edition of four-day national conclave of BCS.
  • The BCS also acknowledged Amarinder”s vast experience and the values he had practised, which had earned him recognition and eminence in society.
  • Ex-Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had received this award in 2015, followed by former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in 2016 and ex-Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar in 2017.
  • Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik won the award in 2018 and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in 2019.
IIMs, IITs Form Consortium to Promote Entrepreneurship
  • The IIMs and IITs have formed a consortium to promote entrepreneurship ecosystem through research and collaboration around innovation.
  • IIMs in Bengaluru, Kolkata and Kozhikode and IITs in Bombay and Madras have formed the Innovation-Venturing and Entrepreneurship in India Network (iVEIN) to leverage their strengths and work with incubators, investors and the government for disseminating knowledge.
  • The iVEIN network will facilitate research in the field among the academic fraternity and create avenues for disseminating knowledge through conferences and journal publications.
  • The network will also create a strategic bridge between stakeholders, strengthen the ecosystem and synthesise the knowledge that is in silos among different groups.
  • The network will also document Indian experiences in entrepreneurship and innovation and create a data-based knowledge for all stakeholders.
  • The initiative will give a fillip to entrepreneurship in the country by aiding policy formulation, implementing innovation and helping managerial practice.
Himachal Pradesh sets up two waste-to-energy plants
  • Himachal Pradesh has set up two waste-to-energy plants in the state, one of them is of 1.75 MW with an outlay of Rs 42 crore in Shimla, while another is of 1 MW in Manali.
  • Also, 5,633 individual households, 1,198 public and 370 community toilets have been set up.
  • They all have been commissioned under Swachh Bharat Mission in two years to ensure hygiene, waste management and sanitation.
  • The main objective of the mission is to eliminate the practice of open defecation by providing toilet facilities to the citizens of the state, converting dry toilets into flash toilets, ending the practice of manual scavenging and ensuring management of solid waste in modern and scientific manner.
  • The state government is also organising various awareness activities for behaviour change and public participation in the state.
  • Plants for waste manure are being set up in 40 urban bodies. A memorandum of understanding has been signed with cement companies to use waste collected from urban bodies as fuel.
Jagaddhatri-Harmohan Das Literary Award presented to Bhupendra Raichoudhury

The 17th Jagaddhatri-Harmohan Das Literary Award was presented to litterateur Dr Bhupendra Raichoudhury at a function organised at the Pandit Tirthanath Sarma Conference Hall.

  • Dr Raichoudhury, a former professor at Gauhati University, received the award for his book Jugo Sandhikshyanar Guwahati, a brief write-up about the history of the city from 1851 to 1950.
  • The award, instituted in 1985, has completed its 35 years. During the period, several noted personalities in the fields of philosophy, literature, religion, art and culture have been honoured with this award.
  • The biennial award, instituted in the name of educationist Harmohan Das and his wife Jagaddhatri Das, carries a citation, a memento and also a cash amount.

FEBRUARY 25, 2020

CM Sonowal launches Asom Darshan scheme
  • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched the Rs 710 crore Asom Darshan scheme, calling it a fulfilment of the promise to preserve and promote the state”s spiritual and historical heritage.
  • The comprehensive scheme seeks to develop religious places of all faiths, including 915 institutions.
  • He said the scheme would protect, conserve and develop Assam”s religious sites and tourism spots, which are not only mesmerising for their scenic beauty and historic importance, but are also icons of the state.
  • The scheme has four components — annuity grant to Devalayas; improving basic infrastructure of places of natural beauty and historical significance; improving key infrastructure in religious places; improved connectivity for visitors.
  • The 915 religious institutions include 459 temples, 186 ”satras” (Vaishnav monasteries), 123 namghars (prayer and community halls), 47 mosques and 27 churches.
  • To make the experience of tourists pleasant and seamless, a budget of Rs 10 lakh will be given to each tourist destination under the Asom Darshan scheme.
  • A budget of Rs 150 crore has been allocated under the Asom Darshan scheme to improve the infrastructure of 316 listed destinations.
  • A fixed amount would be provided to each place for construction of restrooms and providing clean drinking water and garbage disposal facilities.
  • The project has raised the annuity given to each religious and charitable institution of public nature by Rs 2 lakh and also promises one-time grant of Rs 1 lakh for CCTV set up.
Google launched 4th batch of ”Startups Accelerator India”
  • Google announced that it is inviting applications for the fourth batch of Google for Startups Accelerator India programme.
  • The programme mentors early-stage startups on various aspects of their business, across the areas of technology, product strategy, marketing, UX/UI and leadership.
  • According to the company, startups that use technology like AI/ML to solve systemic problems in India can submit their application by visiting ”Google for Startups Accelerator India” by 15th March 2020.
  • Successful applicants will be notified in early April. The batch will commence with a week”s mentorship-bootcamp in April 2020, in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
  • At Google for Startups Accelerator India programme, a batch consisting of 10 startups receive (for three months) intense mentorship bootcamps, tech workshops, design sprints, and marketing growth labs along with the opportunities to forge crucial connections to tech teams within Google and experts in the industry.
Microsoft, SBI partner to help youth with disabilities
  • Microsoft announced a collaboration with the SBI Foundation to create opportunities for youth living with disabilities across India.
  • Through this collaboration, Microsoft and the SBI Foundation will equip youth living with disabilities with the technology and training needed to better prepare them for integration into the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) workforce.
  • In its first year, the programme aims to upskill 500 youth for the BFSI jobs across five major geographies, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and the National Capital Region.
  • The programme will be driven in collaboration with various government organisations, industry skilling bodies and non-profits.
  • The goal of the programme is to build a sustainable and scalable programme that not only empowers youth with the skills they need to find employment in the financial services industry, but also advances cross-industry advocacy efforts to drive inclusion for and hiring of people living with disabilities.
  • As part of this joint effort, Microsoft and the SBI Foundation will also develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered marketplace that will enable the BFSI industry to more easily connect to people living with disabilities for upskilling and employment opportunities.

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

North East states’ CMs reiterated for 90% central funding for all schemes, projects
  • Chief Ministers of north-eastern states have reiterated to maintain the funding pattern to 90:10 ratio in all central government sponsored schemes and projects including Smart City projects.
  • The demand to revise the funding pattern for all schemes and projects from 50:50 ratio to 90:10 ratio was raised by the chief ministers of northeastern states in the ongoing three-day Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Conclave 2020 in Guwahati.
  • Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has demanded revision of existing 50:50 fund sharing pattern to 90:10 for various schemes and projects like Smart City for the northeastern states.
  • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang also supported the Tripura Chief Minister”s demand for 90:10 funding pattern.
  • NITI Aayog has the mandate of overseeing the adoption and monitoring of SDGs at the national and sub-national level.
  • The Guwahati conclave is part of NITI Aayog”s continuous efforts towards fostering partnerships at the sub-national level. In terms of SDG localisation, the states in the region have taken major strides in integrating the “Agenda 2030”.
India to launch Geo Imaging Satellite
  • India will launch its Geo Imaging Satellite (GISAT-1) with its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV- F10).
  • According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), its GSLV-F10 rocket carrying the GISAT-1 is expected to lift off on March 5.
  • The launch is subject to the weather conditions.
  • Weighing about 2,275 kg, GISAT-1 is a state-of-the-art agile Earth observation satellite which will be placed in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) by GSLV-F10.
  • A four metre diameter Ogive shaped payload fairing (heat shield) is being flown for the first time in this GSLV flight. This is the fourteenth flight of the GSLV.
  • Operating from geostationary orbit, GISAT-1 will facilitate near real time observation of the Indian sub-continent, under cloud free condition, at frequent intervals.
3 Bilateral pacts inked during Trump visit to India
  • India, US have concluded three bilateral agreements in the health and energy sectors during Trump visit to India.
  • Two of the agreements finalised during the US President’s visit include a memorandum of understanding on mental health, and one that deals with the safety of medical products.
  • The MoU on safety of medical products was signed between the USFDA and India”s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.
  • The MoU on mental health is between India”s Department of Health and Family Welfare and the Department of Health and Human Services of the US.
  • A Letter of Cooperation was also signed by Indian Oil Corporation and ExxonMobil India LNG Limited, with Chart Industries of the US.
Joint Ministerial Commission between India and Australia
  • The 16th Session of the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) between India and Australia was convened in New Delhi.
  • The Session was co-chaired by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Government of India and Senator Simon Birmingham, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Government of Australia.
  • India and Australia agree to enhancing bilateral trade and investment through revival of the bilateral CECA negotiations, and harmonise standards and regulations on important products.
  • Work on market access issues in both directions to increase trade.
  • Work on mutual recognition of educational qualifications of the two countries .
  • Continue collaboration to encourage increased direct flights between Australia and India.
  • The two sides acknowledged the considerable growth in the India-Australia economic relationship in strategic, trade and people-to-people links since the last Joint Ministerial Commission in June 2018.
  • Both sides welcomed efforts to elevate the bilateral economic relationship. They agreed to consider reviving the negotiations on the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).
  • Both sides noted the visits by three delegations of Australian superannuation funds over the previous year. They agreed to continue to work together to foster awareness of the opportunities in India among Australian investors.
  • Both sides reflected on the important role the private sector played in building the bilateral economic relationship.
  • India raised the issue of taxing of off-shore income of Indian firms through the use of India-Australia Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) and sought early resolution of the issue.

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

PepsiCo to invest Rs 400 crore in Assam to set up manufacturing plant
  • Assam’s Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said PepsiCo India has proposed to invest Rs 400 crore in the state to set up a greenfield project for manufacturing snacking products.
  • A delegation from PepsiCo India comprising Viraj Chouhan, Chief of Government Affairs and Communications Officer for India, Rahul Sharma, Public Policy and Government Affairs Officer, and Nitin Jindal, Associate Director- Business Planning, met Patowary in Guwahati to discuss the proposal.
  • The team informed the minister that PepsiCo India has submitted a proposal to set up a greenfield project for manufacturing Lays and Kurkure in Assam worth Rs 400 crore.
  • The company would engage in contract farming, whereby it would provide seeds to farmers and buy back the matured potatoes from them. The company would also provide handholding support to the farmers.
  • Minister assured the team of the State Government’s support and said that the Industries and Commerce Department would take up an initiative with the State’s Agriculture Department so that PepsiCo can directly train farmers.
  • Minister Patowary also requested Feiner to open a German business chapter in Guwahati which would exclusively work with the state’s Industries and Commerce Department to take forward and expand the initiatives at the next level.
Guwahati  resident Kapil Jain awarded with Digital Marketer of the Year Award
  • Kapil Jain, a resident of Guwahati and founder CEO of Graphitto Labs, a new-age Mumbai-based communication company, has been honoured with the ‘Digital Marketer of the Year Award’ at the World Digital Marketing Congress held in Mumbai .
  • The award has been instituted in association with CMO Asia & The World Federation of Digital Marketing Professionals as Knowledge Partner.
  • Dr RL Bhatia, global chairman and patron of the World Marketing Congress, presented the award to Jain at the awards function attended by over 350 industry leaders from various nationalities.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved setting up National Technical Textiles Mission
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved setting up of a National Technical Textiles Mission with an outlay of Rs 1,480 crore for four year implementation period in line with the announcement made in Budget 2020 presented earlier this month.
  • Textile Minister Smriti Irani said the idea behind the mission is to integrate technology and manufacturing.
  • The Mission will aim at increasing the size of the domestic market to $40 billion which would require an average growth of at least 10 per cent per annum.
  • The Mission will also promote technical education at higher engineering and technology levels related to technical textiles and its application areas covering engineering, medical, agriculture, aquaculture and dairy segments. Skill development will be promoted and adequate pool of highly skilled manpower resources will be created for meeting the need of relatively sophisticated technical textiles manufacturing units.
  • Another component of the mission aims at export promotion of technical textiles enhancing from the current annual value of approximately Rs 14,000 Crore to Rs 20,000 crore by 2021-22 and ensuring 10 per cent average growth in exports per year upto 2023-24.
  • An Export Promotion Council for Technical Textiles will be set up for effective coordination and promotion activities in the segment.
Early Warning Dissemination System for natural disaster alerts launched for coastal Andhra Pradesh
  • An Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS) to send alerts about natural disasters to coastal Andhra Pradesh was launched
  • Home Minister Mekathoti Sucharitha inaugurated the system in the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
  • The EWDS has been enabled in 76 ”mandals” or blocks, 16 fish landing centres and eight tourism destinations in all nine coastal districts of the state.
  • Andhra Pradesh is the second state in the country to be equipped with an advanced mechanism of the early warning system.
  • During natural calamities like floods, cyclones and lightning strikes, the early warning system will help in shifting people to safer places and minimizing loss of human lives.

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FEBRUARY 28, 2020

Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award for Jadav Payeng
  • Environmental activist and forestry worker from Assam Jadav Payeng, who is known as the Forest Man of India, will be conferred the prestigious Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award instituted by My Home India for his consistent efforts in creating a real man-made forest through massive reforestation.
  • The award would be given to him at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi by Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, in the presence of General VK Singh, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, and Sunil Deodhar, national secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party.
  • wami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award is an annual award function organised by My Home India, a voluntary national organisation having its reach across the country.
  • Every year, this award is bestowed to an individual from North East India, who dedicates his/her life to promote and preserve the art, culture, sports, environment, education, industry, science and technology, etc.
  • The award is composed of a trophy, a recitation and a reward of Rs 1 lakh.
Indian Coast Guard’s 6th off-shore patrol vessel launched
  • The sixth OPV of Coast Guard was launched by Geeta Mandaviya, the Minister”s wife at the L&T Shipbuilding, Kattupalli.
  • The asset needs of Indian Coast Guard are on a rapid expansion path requiring ships and aircraft to strengthen the maritime security mechanism in the prevailing security scenario, Union Minister of State for Shipping, Chemicals and Fertiliser Mansukh Mandaviya said.
  • The 6th OPV launched is likely to be inducted into the Indian Coast Guard in October 2020 after completion of extensive trials and testing for the equipment and machinery fitted onboard.
  • The OPV with a gross tonnage of 2,100 ton has a length of 98 metres and a breadth of 15 metres.
  • The endurance of the vessel is 5,000 nautical miles and powered by two diesel engines, it can touch a maximum speed of 26 knots.
  • The ship will be fitted with one CRN -91 and two 12.7 mm guns and will be capable of carrying an Integral Twin Engine Helicopter which will enhance its operational, surveillance and search and rescue capability.
  • The OPV will be used for day and night patrol/surveillance, anti-terrorist/smuggling operations in the Exclusive Economic Zone and also for coastal security.
  • It will have two navigation radars with ultra-modern technology, sophisticated navigational and latest communication systems.
MP government, Tatas sign MoU for healthcare
  • The Madhya Pradesh government signed an MoU with Dorabji Tata Trust to provide better healthcare services in the state.
  • Primary health services will be improved through Arogyam Health and Wellness Centres in the state under the MoU.
  • Chief Secretary S.R. Mohanty, on behalf of the state government, and former state chief secretary and Vice President of the Dorabji Tata Trust, Vijay Singh signed the MoU.
  • A committee comprising representatives of National Health Mission and Tata Trust will be formed to monitor the implementation of the project.
  • The Health Department and Tata Trust will initially work in five centres each in 23 high priority districts.
  • Thus, the 115 identified health and wellness centres will provide technical and managerial support to the programme.
  • In the fourth year, Tata Trust will expand the programme to 500 health and wellness centres.
  • Each of these districts will have an electronic record saved in an urban primary health centre.
  • Tata Trust will also provide healthcare support by creating data for referrals and follow up about cases of pregnancy, hypertension, diabetes and cancer.
HAL offers new multirole chopper to Indian military
    • State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) offered an indigenous multirole helicopter to the Indian military for replacing its medium lift choppers such as MI-17s, Kamovs and Seakings.
    • The city-based defence behemoth displayed a mockup of the multirole helicopter to Rajnath Singh at its helicopter production facility in the city’s eastern suburb.
    • The aerospace major has submitted to the Defence Ministry a project report for sanctioning funds by the Cabinet committee on security to develop the new helicopter
    • The HAL Chairman also told the Defence Minister that it was waiting for the ministry’s order to roll out its Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) for the IAF and the Army.
    • The public sector enterprise has submitted a techno commercial proposal to the ministry for rolling out 15 combat choppers under the limited series production.
    • The indigenous 5.5-tonne LCH is powered by two Shakti engines and has many features of the company”s Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).
    • LCH is the first attack helicopter to land in forward bases at Siachen, 4,700m above sea level, with 500kg load.

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FEBRUARY 29, 2020

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal presented with Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee award
  • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was presented the prestigious Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee award 2020 for Politics at the 6th India Ideas Conclave in Gujarat.
  • The award, instituted by India Foundation, was presented to Chief Minister Sonowal by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Speaker of People’s Majlis of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, which carries a citation, a specially designed trophy and a cheque worth Rs. one lakh.
  • While receiving the award Sonowal said that the award is an inspiration to work for national integration and to take Dr. SP Mukherjee’s vision and philosophy forward. He also dedicated the award to the people of Assam, who have been the source of inspiration and guidance during his public life.
India, Myanmar stress on boosting connectivity
  • India and Myanmar emphasised the centrality of connectivity between the two countries and reaffirmed their commitments to expedite the completion of the various India-funded projects presently under way in Myanmar, with the neighbouring country’s continued support towards their execution.
  • From April 7 the people of the Northeast will be able to travel all the way to Mandalay in Myanmar by bus when a coordinated bus service will be launched from Imphal.
  • India also welcomed the decision by Myanmar to extend tourist visa on arrival for Indian citizens in the neighbouring country till December 2020.
  • A 29-point joint statement signed between the two countries on the occasion of the visit by Myanmar President U Win Myint covers a whole gamut of issues ranging from connectivity to use of digital payment to facilitation of trade and commerce.
  • At least 10 memoranda of understanding were exchanged during the visit.
  • The both sides noted the need to further facilitate easy movement of passenger and cargo traffic by streamlining procedures and expeditiously developing infrastructure.
  • They also agreed to commence establishment of border haats with a priority to carry out a pilot project, which was previously agreed by the both countries in accordance with the MoU signed in 2012.
  • The two sides look forward to setting up of border haats after finalising the mutually agreed mode of operation.
  • The two countries also took note of the positive developments related to Sittwe port and the Kaladan transit transport project.
  • They hailed the appointment of a port operator to operate and maintain the Sittwe port and Paletwa inland water transport terminal and associated facilities from February 1.
  • Both the countries also reaffirmed their commitment to early completion of the Paletwa-Zorinpui road – the final leg of the Kaladan transit transport project.
  • India also expressed its support for the bilateral pacts signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh for the repatriation of the displaced persons from Rakhine state and hoped that Myanmar and Bangladesh would continue to work together for voluntary, sustainable and speedy repatriation of displaced people currently in the Cox’s Bazar area of Bangladesh to Myanmar in accordance with their bilateral agreements.
  • Both sides agreed to work together to enable the launch of India’s RuPay card in Myanmar at the earliest, noting that the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) needs to adhere to Myanmar laws and regulations, and that the launch of RuPay card would stimulate the economy of Myanmar and facilitate tourism and business from India.
PM Modi to launch 10,000 farmer producer organisations (FPO) across India
  • On the occasion of completion of one year of PM Kisan Scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch 10,000 farmer producer organisations (FPO) across the country from Chitrakoot.
  • The Prime Minister has also talked about laying the foundation stone of the Bundelkhand Expressway from Chitrakoot.
  • The Prime Minister will launch a campaign for the distribution of Kisan Credit Card to all the beneficiaries under the PM Kisan Scheme.
  • The number of small and marginal farmers is around 86 per cent, with an average cultivation of less than 1.1 hectare in the country.
  • These small marginal and landless farmers face enormous challenges during agricultural production.
  • The FPO will help in the grouping of small, marginal and landless farmers, so that the collective power of farmers can be increased in dealing with these issues.
  • Members of the FPO will be able to manage their activities under the organisation, so that they can have better access to technology, investment, finance and markets, and their livelihood can grow rapidly.
  • The government had launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM Kisan Scheme as an income support for farmers, to help farmers bear the expenses of agriculture, related activities and household needs.
  • Every eligible beneficiary is given a sum of Rs 6,000 per year under the scheme. This amount is given as two thousand rupees thrice in four months instalments.
  • The payment is sent online directly to the bank accounts of the eligible beneficiaries under the direct benefit transfer system.
14th Meeting of India-France Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism
  • India and France held the 14th Meeting of Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism in New Delhi.
  • An inter-agency Indian delegation was led by Mr. Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary for Counter Terrorism, Ministry of External Affairs, while the French delegation was led by Mr. David Bertolotti, Assistant Secretary of State for Strategic, Security and Disarmament Affairs of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
  • Both sides condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stressed the need for strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in a comprehensive and sustained manner.
  • They exchanged views on current counter-terrorism challenges including countering radicalization, combating financing of terrorism, preventing use of internet for terrorist purposes, threats posed by internationally designated terrorist entities as well as cross-border terrorism in South Asian region.
  • Both sides stressed upon the need to deny safe havens and sources of financing to terrorists.
  • Both sides agreed to further strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation, as a cornerstone of the strategic partnership between India and France, interalia, through regular exchange of information, joint capacity building efforts, mutual legal assistance, sharing best practices for countering terrorism and radicalisation and cooperating in multilateral fora such as Untied Nations and FATF.

 

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Assam Current Affairs – February 15 – 21, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – February 15 - 21, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of February 15 – 21, 2020 )

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FEBRUARY 15, 2020

Rail projects in Northeast to be completed by 2023
  • Railway projects of “national importance” in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast that have been pending for over a decade will be completed by 2023, Railway Board Chairman VK Yadav.
  • Yadav said the priority of the railways in the next five years is to complete its 50 remaining super critical projects, augmenting capacity in order to introduce 1,500 new trains and wrap up its projects of national importance.
  • A project of national importance, the 51.38-km Bhairabi-Sairang project in Mizoram, was sanctioned in 2008-2009, but is yet to be completed. The new deadline for the project is 2023 and a cost of Rs 5,021 crore has been proposed for it.
  • The Railway Budget 2020-21 has proposed an outlay of Rs 400 crore for the new broad gauge railway line for the year.
  • The railways has also set a deadline of March 2023 for the BG line connectivity from Dimapur (Dhansiri) to Zubza (Kohima) (82.50 km) in Nagaland, which was sanctioned in 2006-07. The Railway Budget 2020-21 has earmarked Rs 300 crore for this project. The total cost of the project is Rs 4,600 crore.
  • In Sikkim, the Sivok-Rangpo new BG line (44.39 km) which was sanctioned in 2008-2009 but suffered due to delay in handing over of encumbrance free forest land by the West Bengal government is now scheduled to be completed by 2023. This project has been allocated Rs 607 crore in the 2020-21 Union Budget.
  • Another long-pending project in Manipur connects Jiribam to Imphal (110.62 km), which was sanctioned in 2003-2004. It now has a deadline of 2022. The project has been given a layout of Rs 800 crore in the 2020-21 Railway Budget while its total cost is estimated to be around Rs 12,524 crore.
  • Seven of the 58 super critical projects that are under way in congested routes have been completed in 2019, while one has been wrapped up in 2018. He said that the remaining 50 will be completed by March 2022.
  • The completion of these projects would bring in opportunities for greater economic growth for the regions and increase their geopolitical importance.
ICRISAT launches new facility to accelerate plant life-cycle
  • The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) launched new facility, which is projected to significantly lower time and cost of crop varietal development.
  • Called RapidGen, this facility has in it the technology that can make plants zoom through their lifecycle to quickly reproduce and bear seeds.
  • Where it normally takes about a decade to develop new varieties, RapidGen can help cut that down by about 40 per cent.
  • The state-of-the-art facility, a first for any public sector agricultural research institution, will accelerate plant lifecycle in light, temperature and humidity-controlled conditions.
  • Presently, breeding a new crop variety takes about a decade or more, with six or seven years spent in seasonal generational advancements to arrive at the elite lines that go for testing and release as varieties.
  • RapidGen will shorten the six-seven year window significantly.
  • ICRISAT is collaborating with several agricultural research institutes under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), State Agriculture Universities and industry partners to mainstream rapid cycling of the crops for which protocols have already been standardised.

FACTFILE – International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)

  • The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is an international organization which conducts agricultural research for rural development, headquartered in Patancheru (Hyderabad, Telangana, India) with several regional centers (Bamako (Mali), Nairobi (Kenya)) and research stations (Niamey (Niger), Kano (Nigeria), Lilongwe (Malawi), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Bulawayo (Zimbabwe)).
  • It was founded in 1972 by a consortium of organisations convened by the Ford and the Rockefeller foundations. Its charter was signed by the FAO and the UNDP.
  • Since its inception, host country India has granted a special status to ICRISAT as a UN Organization operating in the Indian territory making it eligible for special immunities and tax privileges.
  • ICRISAT is managed by a full-time Director General functioning under the overall guidance of an international Governing Board.
  • The current Director General is Dr. Peter Carberry who took the post in 2018.
  • The current chair of the Board is Dr Paco Sereme.
Tamil Nadu to install CCTV in buses with funds from Nirbhaya Fund
  • The Tamil Nadu government has decided to install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in all the buses to enhance women safety.
  • Presenting the 2020-21 budget for the state in the Assembly Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam said in order to enhance the safety of women in buses, CCTV cameras are to be fitted in all buses at an estimated cost of Rs 75.02 crore allotted under the Nirbhaya Fund.
  • Action will be taken to introduce electronic ticketing in all transport buses to enable cashless transactions.
  • In the Budget Estimates for 2020-21, Rs 2,716.26 crore has been allotted for the Transport Department.

FACTFILE – Nirbhaya Fund

  • Nirbhaya Fund is an Indian rupee 10 billion corpus announced by Government of India in its 2013 Union Budget.
  • According to the then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, this fund is expected to support initiatives by the government and NGOs working towards protecting the dignity and ensuring safety of women in India. Nirbhaya (fearless) was the pseudonym given to the 2012 Delhi gang rape victim to hide her actual identity.
  • The Ministry of Women and Child Development, along with several other concerned ministries, will work out details of the structure, scope and the application of this fund.
OIL organises month-long fuel-conservation awareness drive
  • As per the directive of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) in association with Oil India Ltd and other petroleum companies is observing SAKSHAM-2020.
  • This is a month-long mass awareness drive with an objective of involving the citizens to actively participate in fuel conservation for health and environmental protection and simultaneously help in reducing India’s dependency on import of crude oil.
  • This year the theme for SAKSHAM-2020 is ‘Indhan Adhik Na Khapayein, Aao Paryavaran Bachayein’.
  • During the observance of SAKSHAM-2020, various programmes such as cycle rally, walkathon, and emission checking of vehicles and equipment, etc., were organised in and around Duliajan.
  • A ‘Free Emission Testing of Vehicles’ was organised at Bihutoli, Duliajan. Around 250 commercial and private vehicles were checked during the campaign.
FEBRUARY 16, 2020
India set to host UN’s first Biodiversity Summit
  • India is set to host the UN biodiversity summit that will bring together more than 1,200 delegates from over 110 countries to deliberate on the alarming decline of migratory species in Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
  • The agenda of the talks include new proposals to mitigate effects of infrastructure on migratory mammals and joining the Gobi bear, the only bear living in the desert, the Persian leopard and the urial, a wild sheep, in the Central Asian mammal species for their protection.
  • Besides, Indian species like the Asian elephant, the great Indian bustard and the Ganges river dolphin are likely to get more priority in biodiversity conservation.
  • Delegates at the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS COP13) will consider the need for guidance and implementation tools to mitigate the impacts of linear infrastructure on migratory species.
  • CMS is the only United Nations treaty that addresses migratory species and their habitats.
  • CMS Guidelines have advised countries on how to avert linear infrastructure threats to large mammals in Central Asia through the Convention’s Central Asian Mammals Initiative.
  • In the future, guidance and implementation tools will be developed for other regions and CMS-listed species not included in the initiative.
  • Parties will also discuss the adoption of dedicated concerted actions for 12 different species, including the giraffe, the Ganges river dolphin, the common guitarfish and the antipodean Albatross.
Assam NGO launches library initiative for deprived kids
  • Gyan Vardhini, a social organisation of Assam, launched a library initiative with the title “Project Educate All – Leave None Behind” .
  • Under the initiative, the organisation has set up its first library at an orphanage, Ananda Ashram, here which aims to make reading books and story books accessible to deprived children and those residing in slums, orphanages and communities in remote locations.
  • Volunteers of the organisation will conduct reading classes for children under the initiative. It also aims to set up 10 libraries across Guwahati within this year.
Portuguese President arrives in India for two-day visit
  • A visiting Portuguese delegation led by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa signed a series of MoUs with state and central government agencies at a formal ceremony in the fields of defence, industry, water and sewage management, education, knowledge sharing, science and technology, heritage, shipping and technology.
  • The signing of agreements followed a series of negotiations between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa which began during a visit by the latter to India in 2017.
  • Among the agreements signed are an MoU between Goa-based Defence Ministry shipyard Goa Shipyard Limited and Portugal”s Estaleiros Navais De Peniche in the field of design, construction and supply of ships in Africa and Latin American countries.
  • Five MoUs and letters of intent between the Portuguese Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC-TEC) and India”s IIT-Goa, National Institute of Oceanography, National Centre for Polar and Oceanic Research.
  • The Energy and Resources Institute and the Goa Shipyard Ltd were also signed under the cooperation for excellence in marine exploration and navigation technologies initiative.
  • The initiative is aimed at generating innovative projects in the field of technological co-operation for marine engineering, shipbuilding technology, blue economy, ocean resources and technology.
  • An MoU for co-operation between IIT-Madras and INESC-TEC in the area of ports and waterways management was also signed.
  • Other MoUs which were signed include a co-operation agreement between the Goa-based VM Salgaoncar Institute of International Hospitality Education and Turismo de Portugal and between the Govind Ramnath Kare College and Portugal”s University of Coimbra to establish academic, scientific and cultural cooperation in the field of law.
  • A strategic tripartite agreement for research and exchange between three institutions, Portugal”s INESC-TEC, Faculty of Engineering of the University Porto and IIT-Madras focussing on marine exploration and energy technologies .

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FEBRUARY 17, 2020
NRL research centre at IIT Guwahati to develop bioplastics
  • NRL has provided an initial research grant of Rs 4 crore to its Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Materials set up at IIT Guwahati.
  • The centre was inaugurated by Union HRD Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal in the presence of Prof TG Sitharam, Director of IIT Guwahati and SK Barua, Managing Director, NRL.
  • The centre is a first of its kind academic-industrial collaborative venture with the broad objective of developing sustainable materials from various waste and by-products sourced from multiple sectors like petroleum industries, bio-refineries and agro-industries.
  • It will serve as an umbrella for many such upcoming collaborative research projects on the development of sustainable materials like bioplastics and other value-added chemicals under one platform to serve the industries like NRL in combating environmental pollution.
  • The first project of the centre is ‘Development of biodegradable plastics from refinery and bio-refinery streams’ and officials associated with it say it is in an advanced stage with prototypes which could be commercially viable having been already developed.
Lui-Ngai-Ni festival celebrated at Ukhrul
  • Lui-Ngai-Ni, a seed-sowing festival of the Nagas of Manipur, was celebrated under the theme, ‘oneness through culture’, at Ukhrul.
  • The two-day festival was organised by the State-level organising committee under the aegis of the United Naga Council and hosted by Tangkhul Naga Long, the apex body of the Tangkhul community.
  • Lui-Ngai-Ni is one of the biggest festivals of the Naga community. It is a cultural festival marked by a plethora of cultural events.
  • The main highlights of the Lui-Ngai-Ni celebrations were lighting of the sacred fire, consecration of the seeds to be sown for the season, beating of the traditional log drum, traditional dances and songs.
  • The festival heralds the season of seed sowing and marks the start of the year for the Nagas and the festival was declared a state holiday since 1988
India-Bangladesh’s 14-day joint exercise ‘Sampriti-IX’ concludes
  • The two-week India-Bangladesh military training exercise Sampriti-IX that focused on counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism and disaster management concluded at Umroi, Meghalaya.
  • The joint military exercise was aimed at strengthening the military relations between the two countries and it allowed the two armies to understand each other’s tactical drills and operating techniques.
  • In all 150 troops from each side took part in the ninth edition of Sampriti.
  • The head of observer delegations from both sides conveyed their appreciation for the participating contingents for achieving the objectives of exercise.
  • The Sampriti series is an important military and diplomatic initiative between the two nations and strengthening the edifice of trust and friendship, which has been nurtured with the sweat and toil of officers and soldiers of contingents participating in each edition.
  • Besides training, both contingents also participated in a number of activities, including sports events and played volleyball and basketball games.
  • A magnificent parade and the customary exchange of mementos marked the completion of the joint exercise.
Norway sees India as important player against climate change
  • Norway said that it saw India as an important player against climate change and that both countries could play leading role in tackling the global issues of environment and climate change.
  • Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar and Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Sveinung Rotevatn met at the Mahatma Mandir to discuss bilateral and global issues on climate and environment.
  • A Conference Of Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species will be held at the venue.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event via videoconferencing. It is for the first time that the triennial event would be held in the country.
  • Both countries stressed the need to strengthen bilateral cooperation on environment and climate change, particularly marine pollution.
  • The Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that India had initiated an ocean dialogue with Norway to address marine plastic litter.
  • Both the countries have formed joint working groups on blue economy with sustainable development.
  • Both the countries agreed on the importance of delivering concrete, scalable solutions for ocean health and wealth at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon in June 2020.

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

46th Karbi Youth Festival started in Karbi Anglong district
  • The 46th Karbi Youth Festival (KYF) organised by the Karbi Cultural Society (KCS) got off at Taralangso village, just seven kilometres from Diphu with Rong Ketong, a traditional procession at Karbi People’s Hall.
  • Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council’s Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang officially inaugurated the festival. Addressing a gathering of participants and artistes at the festival ground, Ronghang called for unity among Karbi groups.
  • The inaugural programme was attended by Hill Areas Development minister Sum Ronghang, Karbi traditional king Ramsing Ronghang and Dumra Karbi traditional king Holi Sing Ronghang, former Asam Sahitya Sabha president Rongbong Terang and other dignitaries.
  • Around 5,000 delegates from 29 KCZ zones from Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Biswanath Chariali, Kamrup have joined the festival. Cultural troupes in their traditional dresses took part in the procession ‘Rong Ketong’ led by drums under the standard of Karbi totem pole Jambili.
  • Thousands of Karbi youths from several parts of the North East are taking part in a series of traditional games and sports, including sling, stilt race, hambi kapathu- ghela khel, folk dances and songs like romance ballads, cradle songs and mourning songs. The festival will conclude on February 19. That day has been kept aside for concerts and prize distribution ceremonies.
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the 13th CMS COP13
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP13) with the presence of over 2,500 delegates from 111 countries in Gandhinagar.
  • Modi opened it through video conference, the first time the head of government hosting the CMS conference has opened a CMS COP, marking the importance of migratory species in India.
  • The conference kicks off ”the super year” for nature, which will include a UN Summit in September and culminate in the UN Biodiversity Conference at the end of 2020.
  • The concept of ”ecological connectivity” is the top CMS priority for the Post-2020 Framework, which calls for the protection and restoration of important geographical areas that together support migratory species during the different phases of their natural lifecycles, such as breeding and feeding.
  • CMS COP13 will add new species for protection under CMS and also address emerging issues and threats.
PM Modi unveils tallest Deendayal Upadhyaya statue in Varanasi
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the 63-ft tall statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya while inaugurating the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Memorial Centre in Padao on the Varanasi-Chandauli border.
  • The ”pancha loha” statue is the tallest statue of the BJP ideologue in the country. Over 200 artisans have worked for almost a year in order to complete the structure.
  • The Memorial Centre, spread over nine acres, will also have the engravings of the life and times of Deendayal Upadhyaya.
  • About 30 Odisha craftsmen and artists have worked on the project during the last year.
  • The Prime Minister also launched projects worth Rs 1,200 crore for his constituency.
  • The projects include a 430-bed superspecialty government hospital, and a 74-bed psychiatry hospital at Banaras Hindu University.
Indian Navy chief in Myanmar to bolster maritime relationship
  • To strengthen relation between India and Myanmar, Indian Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh is on four-day trip to Naypyitaw and other parts of the neighbouring country to bolster the bilateral maritime relationship.
  • The visit is intended to consolidate and enhance the bilateral maritime relations between India and Myanmar.
  • During his visit, Admiral Karambir Singh will hold bilateral discussions with Admiral Tin Aung San, Commander-in-Chief Myanmar Navy and also call on Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief Defence Services, and other senior government officials.
  • He will also interact with the trainees of the National Defence College in Naypyitaw, and will visit the Naval Dockyard and Training Command of the Myanmar Navy in Yangon.
  • Myanmar Navy is a member of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium and participates in the activities conducted under the symposium.
  • Both the Navies also interact during maritime activities such as Admiral”s Cup, Goa Maritime Conclave and Exercise Milan.

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FEBRUARY 19, 2020

Titabor becomes Assam’s first zero waste town
  • Setting high standards in effective integrated waste management, Titabor has become Assam’s first ‘zero waste town’. No other town in Assam has been able to revolutionise municipal solid waste management the way Titabor has done.
  • As per the general standard, if any town succeeds in processing up to 80 per cent of waste, it can claim to be a zero waste town. Titabor, as part its consistent campaign, has set up a material recovery facility where all organic waste is managed through aerobic composting.
  • This move of door-to-door collection, some primary and some tertiary segregation, has resulted in reduction in foul odour and greenhouse gas emission from the dumpsite.
  • Not just that, Titabor is also credited to have started Assam’s first bio-mining project to completely recover the dumpsite and move toward 100 per cent processing of waste, which is an exceptional case in Assam.
First India- Bangladesh tourism festival in Agartala
  • The first ever two-day India-Bangladesh tourism festival would be held in Agartala, ministers, members of Parliament, top officials, experts, artists, singers, performers, tour operators of Bangladesh and Indian states of West Bengal and various northeastern states would participate in the festival, planned to boost tourism in the region.
  • Seminars, discussions, cultural functions, visit to the important tourism spots, historical and archaeological sites are part of the two day India-Bangladesh tourism festivals.
  • Freedom fighters, leading politicians, writers and poets would also participate in the mega event
EESL, BSNL to erect EV charging stations across India
  • The state-run Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for installation of public charging stations to boost e-mobility adoption across India.
  • Under the partnership, the EESL will set up public charging stations in 1,000 BSNL sites in a phased manner on a pan India basis.
  • EESL will make the entire upfront investment on the services pertaining to the MoU, along with the operation and maintenance of the charging infrastructure by using qualified personnel.
  • BSNL would be responsible for providing the requisite space and power connections for installing the charging infrastructure.
  • At present, EESL has commissioned 300 AC and 170 DC chargers across India.
NTPC, RSDCL to develop solar park in Jaisalmer
  • Public sector major NTPC and Rajasthan Solarpark Development Company Ltd (RSDCL), a subsidiary of Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Ltd (RRECL), signed an ‘Implementation Support’ agreement to develop a 925 megawatt (MW) capacity Nokh Solar Park at Nokh in Jaisalmer.
  • As per the agreement, the RSDCL will develop infrastructure in the solar park and NTPC will develop the solar projects. The agreement is likely to bring investment of more than Rs 4,000 crore in the state.
  • The RSDCL will invest about Rs 450 crore in infrastructural development in the project and NTPC is expected to invest more than Rs 3,500 crores in solar projects development. 

FEBRUARY 20, 2020

65th Filmfare Awards organised at Guwahati, Winners List

Winners of the 65th Amazon Filmfare Awards were announced at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati, Assam on 15th February 2020.

Award Winners

BEST FILM – GULLY BOY

CRITICS BEST FILM – ARTICLE 15 (ANUBHAV SINHA)

CRITICS BEST FILM – SONCHIRIYA (ABHISHEK CHAUBEY)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE (MALE) – RANVEER SINGH

CRITICS BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE (MALE) – AYUSHMANN KHURRANA

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE (FEMALE) – ALIA BHATT

CRITICS BEST ACTOR IN LEADING ROLE (FEMALE) – BHUMI PEDNEKAR

CRITICS BEST ACTOR IN LEADING ROLE (FEMALE) – TAAPSEE PANNU

BEST DIRECTOR – ZOYA AKHTAR

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (MALE) – SIDDHANT CHATURVEDI

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (FEMALE) – AMRUTA SUBHASH

India, Myanmar sign MoU for bus service
  • A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between two agencies in the presence of authorities of both India and Myanmar for commencement of a bus service between the two countries.
  • The MoU was signed between Shwe Mandalar Express Company Limited, Yangoon and Seven Sisters Holiday, Imphal on February 14 for commencement of the bus service from April this year.
  • The process of selection of the operator for the sector through bidding is likely to be finalised by March.
  • Under the Act East Policy, an integrated check post was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 4, 2019 in Moreh town, which is now fully operational.
  • Both India and Myanmar have agreed to open nine border haats to facilitate free exchange of locally available commodities and services.
  • Two border haats in Manipur will be set up at Khin Man Behiang (Churachandpur district) and Khampat New Saomtal (Chandel district).
  • In addition, two border haats are also proposed to be opened at New Tusom, Ukhrul district, and Hume Thana/Konkanthana at Kamjong district.
Union Cabinet approved setting up of the 22nd Law Commission
  • Union Cabinet approved the setting up of the 22nd Law Commission for a period of three years.
  • The Law Commission will consist of a full-time Chairperson, four full-time Members (including the Member-Secretary) and the Secretaries, Legal Affairs and the Legislative Departments as ex-officio Members, and not more than five part-time Members.
  • The Law Commission is a non-statutory body constituted by the government from time to time. Originally constituted in 1955, it is re-constituted every three years. The tenure of the 21st Law Commission was up to August 31, 2018.
  • The various Law Commissions have been able to make an important contribution towards the progressive development and codification of law of the country and have so far submitted 277 reports.

FACTFILE – Law Commission of India

  • Law Commission of India is an executive body established by an order of the Government of India.
  • Its major function is to work for legal reform. Its membership primarily comprises legal experts, who are entrusted a mandate by the Government.
  • The Commission is established for a fixed tenure and works as an advisory body to the Ministry of Law and Justice
  • The first Law Commission was established during the British Raj era in 1834 by the Charter Act of 1833. It was presided by Lord Macaulay. After that, three more Commissions were established in pre-independent India.
  • The first Law Commission of independent India was established in 1955 for a three-year term. Since then, twenty one more Commissions have been established.
  • The 21st Law Commission under Justice B.S. Chauhan(retd.) was established in 2015, and had tenure to August 31st 2018.
  • The terms of reference of the Law Commission include the review and repeal of obsolete laws, the examination of existing laws & the revision of central Acts of general importance.
  • Membership: Chairman, 1 Permanent Member, 1 Member Secretary, 2 Part-time Members, 2 ex-officio members.
Indian Navy to get purchase of 24 American Seahawk helicopters
  • The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) cleared the purchase of 24 American helicopters for the Indian Navy. The deal to procure MH-60R Seahawk helicopters is worth Rs $2.6 billion.
  • The 24 helicopters would be a big boost to the Navy. The multi-role helicopters will be equipped with Hellfire missiles and torpedoes, and are meant to help the Indian Navy track submarines in the Indian Ocean, where China is expanding its presence.
  • Currently, P8i aircraft are being used to keep vigil on enemy submarines.
  • The US State Department had approved the sale of the choppers to India last year along with radars, torpedoes and 10 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.

FACTFILE – Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk

  • The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family.
  • The most significant modifications are the folding main rotor and a hinged tail to reduce its footprint aboard ships.
  • Able to deploy aboard any air-capable frigate, destroyer, cruiser, fast combat support ship, amphibious assault ship, or aircraft carrier, the Seahawk can handle anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), naval special warfare (NSW) insertion, search and rescue (SAR), combat search and rescue (CSAR), vertical replenishment (VERTREP), and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC).

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FEBRUARY 21, 2020

IIT Guwahati organises National Seminar on Sub-Regional Cooperation
  • The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G) in association with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Kolkata Chapter, organised a national seminar titled ‘Sub-Regional Cooperation: BIMSTEC and North East India in Perspective’, at IIT-G.
  • The speakers discussed the possible bottlenecks that need to be identified to mitigate the challenges of development through sub-regional cooperation in the NE region.
  • The session on food, technology and livelihoods also discussed techniques of plant tissue culture to improve food production.
  • A book titled India Myanmar borderlands: Ethnicity, Security and Connectivity authored and edited by Dr Pahi Saikia and Dr Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhury, was released at the seminar.
COW nod to India plea on GIB, Asian elephant, Bengal Florican
  • The central government’s proposal for inclusion of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), Asian elephant and Bengal Florican in the appendix I of the 13th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention for Migratory Species of Animals (CMS) was unanimously accepted by the Committee of the Whole (COW).
  • Wildlife species facing extinction threat are included in the appendix I. It leads to push for greater habitat protection, prohibition against poaching and facilitation of their movement in the regions and countries that are part of these species ranges.
  • The GIB, found only in the Indian subcontinent, is considered close to extinction as its population has dropped drastically, are largely concentrated in the Desert National Park in Rajasthan.
  • India had submitted that there was seasonal movement of the GIB between India and Pakistan.
  • Urging the COW to include the Asian elephant in the appendix I, the government said it would help in their greater protection. Found in India, this sub-specie migrates into Bangladesh and Nepal. According to India’s proposal, 93 elephants also move across Indo-Bangla border.
  • India, the home of 60 per cent of the Asian elephant’s global population, has a primary duty and responsibility for ensuring their survival. The number of wild elephants is estimated to be 29,964 in India.
  • In case of Bengal Florican, the government said it was on the verge of extinction and its population is declining mainly due to habitat loss and degradation, and hunting.
Railways partners with University of Birmingham for joint PG plan
  • The Indian Railways announced its partnership with the University of Birmingham for the Joint Master’s programme in Railway Systems Engineering and Integration in academic year 2020-2021 by the National Rail Transportation Institute (NRTI).
  • The programme that has been launched leads to dual M.Sc. that would see NRTI students obtaining two postgraduate degrees from both institutions, after spending a year studying at each institution.
  • It will also provide flexibility for some modules of the programme to be delivered online in the form of a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) and support for undergraduate teaching by University of Birmingham faculty at NRTI.
  • The initiative has been taken under the Centre of Excellence for Next Generation Transportation Systems that had been set up through a Memorandum of Understanding between the NRTI with the University of Birmingham.
Tamil Nadu to set up Protected Special Agriculture Zone
  • Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a Bill declaring the Cauvery delta region, comprising Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, some portions of Cuddalore and Pudukottai districts, as the Protected Special Agriculture Zone (PSAZ).
  • The Bill, introduced by Chief Minister K. Palaniswami, excluded the Trichy, Ariyyalur and Karur districts — also the part of the Cauvery delta region, and existing industrial projects.
  • As per the new law, zinc/copper/aluminium smelter, iron ore processing plants, tannery, hydrocarbon exploration and other industries would not be permitted in the PSAZ.
  • The law excludes infrastructure projects, like building of harbour, laying of roads, pipelines, telecommunications, and water and power supply lines.
  • It also provides for setting up of Tamil Nadu Protected Agricultural Zone Authority, headed by the Chief Minister. The Authority will have 30 members.

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Assam Current Affairs – February 08 – 14, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – February 8 - 14, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of February 8 – 14, 2020 )

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FEBRUARY 08, 2020

Tocklai Tea Research Institute made breakthrough in micro-propagation of Tea plants
  • The Jorhat-based Tocklai Tea Research Institute (TTRI) has achieved a major breakthrough in micro-propagation of tea plants by applying the tissue culture technology. So far, this technology could not be utilised for mass propagation of tea plants. This achievement of the TTRI is hailed as a remarkable one and will have far-reaching benefits for the country’s tea industry in matters of quality.
  • So far, most of the tea tissue culture work was successful in the laboratory only, and that too using the germinating seeds as the starting material, he said.
  • Pranita Hazarika, a young lady scientist of the TTRI, has solved the problems faced so far in transferring the tissue cultured tea plants from ‘flask to field.’ The plants developed by her have completed one year of luxuriant growth and received the first prune on January 20 last.
  • The work demonstrated that the tissue culture technology can in fact be made applicable for commercial micro-propagation of tea plantlets at a reasonable price and much faster pace than the conventional methods. It throws up the possibility of complete transformation of the entire supply chain management of tea planting material in the near future and is thus going to have a far-reaching impact on the tea industry. The tissue culture has the potential to generate a large number of plantlets within a short time from a single cell or tissue or explants, that is plant parts.
  • The conventional tea plant multiplication methods either through germinating seed or vegetative nodal cuttings are unable to meet the mounting demand from tea gardens for good planting material and calls for a rapid low cost alternative technology. Thus, making available climate resilient and superior cultivars as well as innovative technology for adoption by the tea gardens are crucial components for ensuring sustainability of the tea industry.
  • The procedure is quite reproducible and requires less time by concurrently inducing rooting and hardening of micro-shoots. In-vitro regeneration of tea plantlet from shoot explants collected from the field has also been successfully carried out.
  • Efforts at utilising the tissue culture technology were hitherto accosted by several problems. Further, there were reports that the few hardened tea plants developed in laboratories did not grow well in the outdoor field conditions.

FACTFILE – Tocklai Tea Research Institute

  • The Tocklai Tea Research Institute was established in 1911, at a site near the River Tocklai in Jorhat, Assam, India. The initial construction of a laboratory and two bungalows was funded by the tea industry, subsidised by the national government of India, and the Indian states of Assam and Bengal.
  • The beginning of a new era of tea research in India was marked by the establishment of the Scientific Department of Indian Tea Association (ITA) in the year 1900. This was consolidated with the creation of the Tocklai Experimental Station in 1911.
  • The formation of the Tea Research Association (TRA) in 1964 with Tocklai at the centre of all activities further expanded the horizon of tea research to cover the entire Northeast India.
  • Research on all aspects of tea cultivation and processing is carried out at the Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Jorhat, the oldest and the largest research station of its kind in the world.
  • Apart from research on various aspects of tea cultivation and processing, the research on tissue culture of modern tea and its medicinal benefits are also being carried out here.
  • Transfer of technology to its member estates is carried out through its advisory network covering 1,076 tea estates occupying 341,049 hectares (1,317 sq mi) of land spread over The South Bank, North Bank, Upper Assam, Cachar, Tripura, Dooars, Darjeeling and Terai.
  • Tocklai has its regional R & D Centre at Nagrakata, West Bengal.
  • Chairman – PK Bezboruah.
India, Sri Lanka to cooperate on fight against terrorism
  • India and Sri Lanka agreed to furthering cooperation with each other in combating terrorism in South Asia.
  • During a visit of the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to New Delhi.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi said,Terrorism is a major danger in our region. Both countries have fought this problem firmly.
  • Prime Minister Modi also revealed that Sri Lankan police officers have started participating in anti-terrorism courses in India”s training institutes
IIT Madras and AIIMS Mangalagiri partner for tech solutions
  • Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) announced collaboration with AIIMS Mangalagiri on affordable technology solutions.
  • IITM said the partnership between the two institutions will also feature academic and research collaborations.
  • Officials of the two institutions discussed on the areas of collaborations like healthcare robotics, predictive models using artificial intelligence and remote presence point-of-care solutions to improve hospital and community health out-comes.
FEBRUARY 09, 2020
Bangladesh win maiden ICC U-19 World Cup, defeated India in final
  • Bangladesh cricket team clinched its maiden ICC Under-19 World Cup title after beating favourites India cricket by three wickets in the summit clash at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom.
  • Set a revised target of 170 under D/L method, after a brief rain interruption, Bangladesh won the match with 23 balls to spare. Sent in to bat, India’s batting wilted under pressure as a superb Bangladesh bowling attack shot the defending champions out for a paltry 177 in 47.2 overs.
  • Yasashvi Jaiswal (88 off 121 balls) was once again a standout performer but not for once did he look like dominating the Bangladesh bowling unit whose new ball bowlers Shoriful Islam (2/31 in 10 overs) and Tanzim Hasan Shakib (2/28 in 8.2 overs) literally stifled the Indians for runs.
  • The third seamer Avishek Das (3/40 in 9 overs) was the most successful bowler in terms of figures but it was Shoriful’s first spell with channelised aggression that put the Indians on the back-foot from the onset.
  • After a short rain break towards the end, the target was revised to 170 from 46 runs but Bangladesh reached 170 for 7 in 42.1 overs to win the match.
  • Opener Parvez Hossain Emon top-scored for Bangladesh with a 79-ball 47 while captain and wicketkeeper Akbar Ali was not out on 43 from 77 deliveries.
  • For the India U-19 side, Ravi Bishnoi was the most successful bowler with figures of 4/30 while Sushant Mishra had 2/25.
  • India thus missed out on a record fifth title in their seventh final appearance.

FACTFILE – ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup

  • The ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup is an international cricket tournament organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) contested by national under-19 teams.
  • First contested in 1988, as the Youth World Cup, it was not staged again until 1998. Since then, the World Cup has been held as a biennial event, organised by the ICC.
  • he first edition of the tournament had only eight participants, but every subsequent edition has included sixteen teams.
  • India have won the World Cup on a record four occasions, while Australia have won three times, Pakistan twice, and Bangladesh, England, South Africa and the West Indies once each. Two other teams New Zealand and Sri Lanka have made it to tournament finals.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath announces Rs 2,500 stipend for students

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that government would soon introduce an internship scheme under which students of classes 10, 12 and undergraduates would be linked to various technical institutes and given Rs 2,500 per month as stipend.

  • The Chief Minister said that the internship period would be six months or one year after which the government would help in their placement.
  • He said that of the Rs 2,500, the state government would give Rs 1,000 while the Centre would contribute Rs 1,500.
  • The Chief Minister further announced that an ITI and a skill development centre would be opened at every tehsil so that the youth could hone their skills.
Wipro recognized 18 Indian educational under it’s earthian awards
  • Global software major Wipro recognized 18 Indian educational institutions for embedding sustainability in the learning process as part of earthian awards.
  • Wipro earthian is a flagship program that tries to bring together the themes of sustainability and education in meaningful ways.
  • The programme helps stimulate curiosity and interest in young minds in critical areas of sustainability.
  • Some of the winning institutes are Government Senior Secondary School Bojoghari, East Sikkim, Rajkiya Uccha Madhyamik Vidyalay, Sirohi, Rajasthan, St. Joseph”s Educational Institute, Chandor, Goa and BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru among others.
  • In its ninth edition, earthian, a sustainable education program for schools and colleges, received 1,300 project entries out, of which 10 schools and eight colleges emerged winners for the year 2019.
  • As part of the programme, teams of students from the educational institutes demonstrated understanding on biodiversity, water and waste along with other activities such as writing essays on those topics.

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FEBRUARY 10, 2020
Justice T Vaiphei takes over as Chief of Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (MHRC)
  • Retired Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court, Justice T Vaiphei has taken over charge as the chairperson of the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (MHRC).
  • The MHRC was functioning under acting chairperson Peter JP Hanaman after Justice Aftab H Saikia retired last year. As per rules, only Chief Justices of High Courts can be appointed as chairperson of the commission.
  • Justice Vaiphei took charge on February 7 in the presence of Hanaman, member Baffyndalyne Giri and other officials and staff of the Commission. Justice Vaiphei was earlier the chairperson of the Assam Human Rights Commission.

BIOGRAPHY – Justice T Vaiphei

  • Justice Vaiphei graduated in 1976 and passed his LLB in 1979 from the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi.
  • He enrolled in the Bar Council of Assam in 1980 and was appointed as the Additional Advocate General of Mizoram in 1999.
  • He was elevated as Additional Judge of the Gauhati High Court in 2003. Justice Vaiphei was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court on September 21, 2016.
  • After his retirement in 2018, he was appointed as the chairperson of the Assam Human Rights Commission.
92nd Academy Awards – Joaquin Phoenix for ‘Joker’ and list of other winners
  • The 92nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, honored the best films of 2019 and took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (Oscars) in 24 categories.
  • This event marked the first time in Oscar history that more than three films had received ten or more nominations.
  • The South Korean film Parasite led the ceremony with four awards and became the first film not in the English language to win Best Picture, as well as the first South Korean submission to be nominated for (and win) Best International Feature Film.
  • The war film 1917 won three awards, while Ford v Ferrari, Joker, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood won two awards each. American Factory, Bombshell, Hair Love, Jojo Rabbit, Judy, Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl), Little Women, Marriage Story, The Neighbors’ Window, Rocketman, and Toy Story 4 won one award each.
  • Hollywood star Joaquin Phoenix finally ended his dry run at the Oscars as he picked up the best actor trophy for his performance in and as “Joker” at the 92nd Academy Awards. Phoenix had emerged as an undisputed frontrunner against the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”), “Antonio Banderas (“Pain & Glory”) and Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes”).
  • Phoenix’s career most praised performances include “Signs “, “We Own the Night”, “Two Lovers”, “The Immigrant”, “Her”, “You Were Never Really Here” and “Inherent Vice”.

Winners of the Oscar 2020 Award

Best Picture

Parasite – Kwak Sin-ae and Bong Joon-hodouble-dagger

Best Director

Bong Joon-ho – Parasitedouble-dagger

Best Actor

Joaquin Phoenix – Joker as Arthur Fleck / Jokerdouble-dagger

Best Actress

Renée Zellweger – Judy as Judy Garlanddouble-dagger

Best Supporting Actor

Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Cliff Boothdouble-dagger

Best Supporting Actress

Laura Dern – Marriage Story as Nora Fanshawdouble-dagger

Best International Feature Film

Parasite (South Korea) in Korean – directed by Bong Joon-hodouble-dagger

IIIT-Delhi partners with edu-venture Extramarks to promote research in AI
  • The Indraprastha Institute of Education Technology, Delhi (IIIT-D) signed an MoU with the global education technology company, Extramarks, to promote and encourage research in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
  • Extramarks, in partnership with IIIT-D will set up a research laboratory in the computer science department, which will be dedicated to the task of creating new breakthroughs in the area of ”AI in Education”.
  • This partnership opens the doors of constructive research for our students, who will benefit greatly from the practical experience they will gain from engaging with Extramarks.
  • The benefit will accrue to all students, teachers and schools who adopt such futuristic technologies in classrooms as well as home-learning segment.
Skill development centre for women opened in Jammu
  • Union Minister Rattan Lal Kataria inaugurated a skill development centre at the Kashmiri Pandit Migrant Colony in the Jagti.
  • Opened under the Athroot initiative, a project by Sewa Bharti Jammu, a non-government organisation, for uplift of women Kashmiri migrants residing in different migrant camps in and around Jammu.
  • The initiative is aimed to impart training and create self-help groups to empower women and girls to earn a livelihood and shape a better future.
  • The women are provided vocational training in various skills, like embroidery, stitching, spice grinding, pickle making, soap making, classical music and computer courses.
  • It also has a Bal Sanskar Kendra to impart social and moral education to kids.
  • The project is being run under the supervision of Anjali Radhu, a resident of Jagti.

FEBRUARY 11, 2020

Smart Idea Innovation Award 2020
  • State Minister for Fisheries, Excise, Environment and Forest Parimal Suklabaidya gave away the prizes to winners of the 6th Dinanath Pandey Smart Idea Innovation Award.
  • Ha Tade from Arunachal Pradesh won the Dinanath Pandey Smart Idea Innovation Award 2020 for his innovation SOFT.SPY, a device which helps in recording the minute details of a vehicle’s movement – both two-wheelers and four-wheelers.
  • The award has been instituted by the family of Dinanath Pandey who was a master innovator and tried to change the way of life with his innovations.
  • The ‘Innovation Festival’ which is organised by the Indian Council for Science Museum in collaboration with the National Innovation Foundation (NFI), provides a common platform to people of all the states in the north-eastern region working in different fields like innovators, artists, performers, craftsmen and science-demonstrators among others to showcase their creativity.
  • More than 34 innovators from the north-eastern states and West Bengal participated in the two-day exhibition ‘Innovation Festival’.

 

 16 villages in Hailakandi district solar electrified under Souro Shakti project  
  • Altogether 16 villages which did not have access to conventional electricity have been covered following installation of 349 solar street lights in Hailakandi district under project Souro Shakti.  
  • Remote and interior villages such as Ramnathpur, Gutguti, Baruncherra, Nunai FV, Kukicherra, Kanchiwala, Ahyalapur and Sahebmarra, to name just a few, have been brought under solar street lights. Another eight villages which have been groping in dark since independence have been recently installed with 80 solar street lights.
  • Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) has helped connect off grid interior villages such as Raifalmara, Bhai Bonti, Bangla Basha, Gendacherra, Gutguti and Bandukmara Grant with rooftop solar panels covering about 1,551 individual households.
  • The remotest corners of the district still lack electricity connectivity due to lack of terrain and off grid issues. In a bid to ensure that these remote villages are also mainstreamed, solar as an alternative source of energy was proposed to be tapped into, as it is eco-friendly, renewable and self serving option. ONGC was asked to sponsor the project through its CSR initiative.
  • Renewable energy-based solar power will boost small businesses, create local jobs and build economies. This will improve living standards in villages. That in turn will ensure women’s empowerment, better health and education.
  • Almost all the sub centres and health institutions including the SK Roy Civil Hospital have been covered under Project Souro Shakti and have all been lit by solar lights irrespective of availability of electricity. 255 solar lights have been installed in the health sector alone.
Ayurveda Institute Bill introduced in Lok Sabha
  • The Government introduced the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Bill, 2020 in the Lok Sabha which seeks to confer the status of institution of national importance to a cluster of ayurveda institutions in Gujarat Ayurveda University campus in Jamnagar.
  • The three institutes which would be clubbed are Institute of Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Gulab Kunverba Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya and Institute of Ayurveda Pharmaceutical Sciences.
  • Introducing the Bill, Minister of State for Ayush Shripad Yesso Naik said he would consider the suggestions made by the members of the house regarding the draft law.
Andhra Pradesh ink MoUs with 11 institutes for developing agriculture sector
  • The Andhra Pradesh government signed 11 MoUs with leading organisations from across the country to develop agriculture sector in the state.
  • The state’s Agriculture Department signed the MoUs with the officials of various institutes in the presence of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and his cabinet collages Kurasala Kannababu, Mopidevi Venkataramana and Kodali Venkateswara Rao.
  • Arun Kumar, Special Commissioner, Agriculture, signed the MoUs with the officials of the institutes.
  • As part of these MoUs, farmers will be trained in organic and natural farming techniques. They will also be offered training in various agriculture domains.
  • The institutes with which the state signed the agreements include the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai, the National Institute of Plant Health Management (NIPHM), Hyderabad, the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, the Central Fertiliser Quality and Training Institute (CFQTI), Faridabad, the National Seed Research and Training Institute (NSRTI), Varanasi, the Central Institute of Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad, the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal, the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly, the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals (IAHVB), Bengaluru, and the ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA), Bhubaneswar.

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FEBRUARY 12, 2020

Assam Govt to make higher education free
  • Launching two scholarship schemes for students, Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the State government is working to make higher education completely free, including taking care of the “hidden costs”.
  • Sarma was speaking at a function organised to launch the Gyan Deepika Scholarship announced in the State Budget 2019-20. Under the scheme, the State government would provide subsidy of Rs 700 per month for 10 months through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) on dues to 13,414 hostel students of government colleges and State universities.
  • The Government of Assam also launched the HPC Scholarship Scheme to provide financial assistance of up to Rs 1 lakh to students whose parents are currently employed in Hindustan Paper Corporation’s units at Panchgram and Jagiroad.
  • The two schemes by Government of Assam are of significant importance in providing financial relief to families with children who aspire to pursue higher education.
  • The government has taken measures which will ensure that higher education too is completely free and there are no hidden costs for students. Parents should not spend a single penny for education of their students, including their pocket money.
  • Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the State government is putting efforts to develop the personality of students who are academically brilliant, socially conscious and professionally successful.
WHO launches global research forum against coronavirus
  • A two-day global research and innovation forum led by the World Health Organization (WHO) was launched to mobilise international action in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
  • Co-hosted by the WHO and the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness and funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
  • The forum gathers roughly 400 participants, both live and online, including leading scientists from virus-related disciplines around the world, representatives of countries with confirmed novel coronavirus cases and those of public health agencies, ethics experts with related expertise, and representatives of major research donors.
  • Chinese representatives from the National Health Commission and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention will brief the forum on China”s research on the outbreak, listen to views of all parties and participate in discussions.
  • The forum is to identify the uncharted waters of the virus, prioritize research options and coordinate global efforts to avoid duplication of research, and speed up vaccine and medicine development.
Sanjay Vatsayan takes over as Eastern fleet commander
  • Rear Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan took command of the eastern fleet deployed across the indo-pacific region to safeguard the nation”s maritime interest. He took charge at Visakhapatnam.
  • The Eastern Fleet comprising of frontline warships of the Indian Navy are deployed across the indo-pacific region to safeguard the nation”s maritime interest.
  • Rear Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan is an alumnus of the prestigious National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Naval War College, Mumbai and the National Defence College, New Delhi.
  • The Admiral, who is a Gunnery and Missile systems specialist, has vast experience at sea and ashore.
  • He has commanded missile vessels Vibhuti and Nashak, the guided-missile corvette Kuthar and has also been the commissioning Commanding Officer of the indigenously constructed state-of-the-art stealth frigate Sahyadri.
  • Rear Admiral Vatsayan has also held vital appointments dealing with personnel policy and naval plans at the integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy).
  • Prior to assuming Command of the Eastern Fleet, he was serving as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans) at New Delhi.
Odisha govt signs MoU with HDFC Bank to boost startups
  • The Odisha government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the HDFC Bank Limited to provide smart banking solutions to Startups in the state.
  • The Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Department signed the MoU with the HDFC Bank in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
  • The bank would provide smart banking solutions to the Startups recognised by the Startup Odisha along with opportunity to pitch their solutions to requisite stakeholders and will work towards providing them an opportunity to showcase their solutions.
  • In addition, the bank will extend incubation and acceleration support to all Startups banking with them.
  • HDFC Bank is having third party alliances to provide discounts for startups across key business support functions like shared work spaces, digital marketing, content writing, tax and legal advisory, financial management, compliance among others.

 

FEBRUARY 13, 2020

Assam Cabinet nod for scholarships, grants to tea community
  • The State Cabinet approved the Swahid Dayal Das Panika Swaniyojan Achoni under which financial assistance of Rs 25,000 would be given to youths of the community to “encourage entrepreneurship.”
  • The one time grant will benefit some 15,000 youths of the tea tribe community.
  • To further “empower” students of the tea tribe community, the Cabinet approved the Simon Sing Horo Special Scholarship scheme of Rs 10,000 each to HSLC and HS passed candidates belonging to the community.
  • The Cabinet also approved provisions for construction of pucca houses for workers of the Assam Tea Corporation Limited gardens at the cost of Rs 1.3 lakh per house.
  • The Cabinet further resolved to increase allotment of agricultural land from 3 bighas to 7 bighas under the Land Policy 2019.
  • The Cabinet approved an amount of Rs 20,000 each to install solar kits in those PMAY houses which do not have electricity connection.
‘120% rise in Budget allocation for NE rly projects a big boost’
  • The General Budget 2020-21 has proposed an increase in the allocation for railway projects in Assam and the Northeast and it will help in upgradation of facilities and expansion of network in the region.
  • Subhanan Chanda, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), said that the Union Budget has proposed an allocation of Rs 4,669 crore for railway projects in Assam and the Northeastern states taken together. This is 120 per cent more than the average annual outlay of Rs 2,122 crore for the same region during 2009-2014.
  • The proposed outlay includes a number of projects for doubling of railway lines in the region, including the newly proposed doubling of the 381 km-long Lumding-Tinsukia-Dibrugarh section at an estimated cost of Rs 3,810 crore.
  • He said that the Budget has also allocated additional funds for other ongoing doubling works including Rs 200 crore for the New Bongaigaon-Rangiya-Kamakhya section (142.97 km), Rs 450 crore for New Bongaigaon-Goalpara-Guwahati (Kamakhya) section (176 km) and Rs 400 crore for the Digaru-Hojai section (102 km).
J&K and Ladakh to host 1st edition of Khelo India Winter Games
  • The Sports Ministry is set to organise the first-ever Khelo India Winter Games in the Union Territory of Ladakh in the third week of February and in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the first week of March.
  • Seven different sporting disciplines have been chosen with an effort to popularise winter games among the youth of the country.
  • The Games will have Open Ice Hockey Championship, Figure Skating and Speed Skating and the competition will be conducted at Block, district and Union Territory levels with an expected participation of about 1,700 athletes.
  • The competitions of the Khelo India J&K Winter Games will be held at Kongdori in Kashmir’s hill resort of Gulmarg in four age categories for both boys and girls. Athletes in the age categories of 19-21 years, 17-18 years, 15-16 years and 13-14 years can compete in Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Snow Boarding and Snow Shoeing.
Odisha government approved Rs 803.65 cr action plan for more green cover
  • The Odisha government approved its annual action plan entailing an expenditure of Rs 803.65 crore under CAMPA for the 2020-21 fiscal to increase the green cover in the coastal state.
  • The action plan was approved by the state-level steering committee on Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy.
  • The government decided to undertake various activities under the action plan, including block plantation, assisted natural regeneration, bald-hill plantation, maintenance of previous year”s plantation, fodder and fruit-bearing plantation, bamboo culture and wildlife management.
  • A target has been set to take up plantation in 1,500 hectares, with 1,600 saplings per hectare during 2020-21 and to grow 5,71,48,000 seedlings during the period.
  • Rs 41.13 crore was approved for maintenance of the fire protection line, operation of 216 fire protection squads and support to the Vana Surakhya Samiti (VSS) for fire protection work.

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FEBRUARY 14, 2020

Strengthening of case for Classical language status to Assamese
  • With new breakthroughs emerging on the antiquity of the Assamese script, and research shows that Assamese script to be far older than previously thought, some sections have called for according it the status of Indian Classical Language.
  • Generally the Indian Classical Language status is given to languages which have a rich heritage and are of independent nature. The status is awarded by the Government of India and so far this honour has been bestowed on six languages of India – Tamil in 2004, Sanskrit in 2005, Telugu in 2008, Kannada in 2008, and Malayalam in 2013, with Odia being the latest addition to the list in 2014.
  • Languages declared as classical get three primary benefits.
    • First, two major international awards for those who contribute significantly to Indian Classical Languages are presented every year.
    • Secondly, the government has to set up a Centre of Excellence for the study of Classical Languages.
    • Thirdly, Central universities can give grants for Professional Chairs for Classical Languages.
  • According to eminent scholar Dr Nagen Saikia, the Assamese language deserves the status of classical language. The Assamese language has a long glorious history dating back to the prehistorical times.
  • According to Ashok Sarma, who is doing extensive research in Kamrupi civilisation, script, and language, the Assamese language has much more antiquity than ever thought.“We can trace the written form to the 4th century BC, i.e., the language found in the Mahasthangarh stone inscription (now in Bangladesh). It should be noted that today’s Bangladesh was within the territory of ancient Kamrup in the manner the ancient Indian civilisation of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro are now in Pakistan. The language of the Mahasthangarh inscription was in Prakrit language and it did not belong to Ashoka’s empire. The language of this inscription cannot be Magadhi Prakrit either because the contemporary language of the Ashokan edicts was not found anywhere after his reign. If the language was to be the language of Magadh, then it could not be extinct,” he said.
  • The criteria evolved by the Government of India to judge the eligibility of a language to be declared as classical language include
    • (a) high antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1,500-2,000 years,
    • (b) a body of ancient literature/text which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers,
    • (c) the literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community, and
    • (d) the classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.
Sri Lanka engages Indian Navy to carry out shore-based survey
  • Enhancing bilateral relationship, Sri Lanka has engaged India to carry out hydrographic and several shore-based survey activities off its south-west coast.
  • The Indian government has assigned the task to the Indian Navy.
  • Indian Navy’s Sandhayak class hydrographic survey ship, INS Jamuna, has been deployed to Sri Lanka based on a mutual agreement to carry out Joint Hydrographic Survey off the South West Coast of Sri Lanka.
  • The ship is commanded by Captain H.A. Hardas.
  • Over the two-month deployment period, the ship will carry out detailed hydrographic surveys and several shore-based survey activities.
  • Sri Lanka Navy personnel will embark the ship during the conduct of the joint survey and additionally the personnel will also be provided ”hands on” survey training during every operational turnaround in port.
  • INS Jamuna also hosted a meeting between Rear Admiral Sisira Jayakody, Chief Hydrographer of Sri Lankan Navy, officers of Sri Lankan hydrographic department and Indian officers of the ship.
20th edition of ”Hunar Haat” begins in Delhi
  • The 20th edition of the ”Hunar Haat” was inaugurated at the India Gate lawns, the 10-day event is based on the theme of “Kaushal Ka Kam”.
  • Master artisans, craftsmen as well as culinary experts from across the country will be participating in the event.
  • The event was inaugurated in the presence of Railways and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Minorities Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
  • Hunar Haats have been organised at various places in the country such as Delhi, Mumbai, Prayagraj, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Punducherry and Indore.
  • In the coming days ”Hunar Haats” will be organised in Gurugram, Bangaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Dehradun, Patna, Bhopal, Nagpur, Raipur, Puducherry, Amritsar, Jammu, Shimla, Goa, Kochi, Guwahati, Bhubneshwar, Ajmer and other places.
  • At the India Gate lawns, more than 250 stalls have been set up where master artisans, craftsmen and culinary experts from across the country are participating.
  • They are here displaying exquisitely handmade indigenous products.

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Assam Current Affairs – February 01 – 07, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – February 1 - 7, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of February 1 – 7, 2020 )

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FEBRUARY 01, 2020

Economic Survey 2019-20 presented in the Parliament
  • The Economic Survey of India is the flagship annual document of the Ministry of Finance, Govt of India. It is prepared under the guidance of the Chief Economic Adviser of India. This document is presented to both Houses of Parliament during the Budget Session. The first Economic Survey of India was presented in 1950-51 as part of the Union Budget. After 1964 it was separated from the Budget and presented each year during the Budget Session before the presentation of the budget. The document is non-binding.
  • The Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey 2019-20 in the Parliament on January 31, 2020. Krishnamurthy V. Subramanian is the Chief Economic Adviser of Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

Highlights of the Economic Survey 2019-20

  • GDP growth pegged at 6-6.5% in fiscal year starting April 1, 2020, up from 5% in the current fiscal.
  • Uptick in growth projected in second half of current fiscal based on 10 factors including higher FDI flows, build up of demand pressure, positive GST revenue growth.
  • Share of formal employment increased from 17.9% in 2011 -12 to 22.8% in 2017-18 reflecting formalisation in Indian economy.
  • To achieve GDP of $5 trillion by 2024-25, India needs to spend about $1.4 trillion over these years on infrastructure.
  • Around 2.6 crore new jobs created in rural, urban areas between 2011-12 and 2017-18 among regular wage/salaried employees.
  • Declining inflation from 3.2% in April 2019 to 2.6% in December 2019, reflecting weakening demand pressure in the economy.
  • GST collections grew by 4.1% for the centre during April-November 2019.
  • Government should deliver expeditiously on reforms to revive growth. The Survey suggests government to systematically examine areas where it needlessly intervenes and undermines markets.
  • Excessive government intervention in markets, especially when the market can do the job of enhancing citizens welfare perfectly well, stifles economic freedom.
  • Economic Survey calls for improving governance in public sector banks, more disclosures to build trust and for measures to make it easier to start new business, register property, pay taxes, enforce contracts.
  • The Survey also calls for easing of crude prices lowers current account deficit; imports contract more sharply than exports in first half of current fiscal.
Government to restructure Ministry of External Affairs
  • The government has decided to restructure the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the MEA will get decentralised by setting up several verticals, specialisation-wise.
  • This will enable separation of consular services and other routine administrative affairs from the diplomacy involved in areas like economics, trade, development, technology, cultural exchange etc.
  • Each vertical is to be headed by a ”political director” at Additional Secretary level.
  • Until now, like all other ministries, the MEA has been a pyramid like structure, with lot of work pressure on Joint Secretaries and the four Secretaries.
  • The restructuring began with handing over all the four development partnership divisions responsible for foreign aid and development projects in South Asia and Africa to Akhilesh Mishra, who was heading the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
  • The council, which is the cultural arm of MEA, will be under Dinesh Patnaik.
  • The economic section will be handled by P. Harish and three divisions of Africa will be under Nagma Mallik.
  • All multilateral meetings and summits will now be handled by VikramDoraiswami.
  • The ministry also plans to expand and hire experts from the private sector and non-profit bodies as well.
European Investment Bank to invest 600 million euros in Pune Metro
  • The European Investment Bank (EIB) will invest 600 million euros (Rs 4,800 crore) in the upcoming Pune Metro Rail (PMR) project, the Maharashtra government announced.
  • A Memorandum of Understanding for the first tranche of 200 million euros (Rs 1,600 crore) was signed in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
  • The state government said, This will enable easier and affordable access to jobs, healthcare, education, reduce pollution, generate employment and slash commuting time for over 600,000 daily commuters among Pune’s three million population.
  • The fundings received will be utilised for the underground sections, a metro depot and other purposes.
  • The PMR will be 32.50 km long, costing around Rs 11,420 crore, running both on the surface and underground with 30 stations.
  • The PMR will help India achieve several United Nations” sustainable development goals like SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 11 (sustainable cities) and SDG 5 (gender equality).
FEBRUARY 02, 2020
Union Budget 2020-21 presented in the Parliament

The Union Budget of India for 2020–2021 was presented by the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman on 1 February 2020. The central ideas of the Budget are – “Aspirational India, Economic development, A Caring Society.”

Highlights & Important Point

~ Income Tax & other Personal Taxes ~

    • A simplified and new Income Tax Regime has been proposed as an option to the old regime.
    • Income between Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7.5 lakh: Reduced to 10% from the current 20%
    • Between Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh: Reduced to 15% from the current 20%
    • Between Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12.5 lakh: Reduced to 20% from the current 30%
    • Between Rs 12.5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh: Reduced to 25% from the current 30%
    • Above ₹15 lakh: Continue at 30%, but without exemptions

However, those who wish to continue to pay old rates may do so.

~ Business Sector ~

  • Concessional corporate tax rate of 15 per cent to new domestic companies in manufacturing and power sector.
  • Corporate tax for existing companies slashed to 22 per cent.
  • Govt proposes 100 per cent tax concession to sovereign wealth funds on investment in infra projects.
  • Concessional tax rate of 15 per cent extended to power generation companies.
  • Tax concession for sovereign wealth fund of foreign governments and other foreign investments.
  • Tax benefits to Start-ups by way of deduction of 100 per cent of their profits are enhanced by increasing turnover limit and period of eligibility period of eligibility.
  • Concessional tax rate for cooperatives proposed.
  • Turnover threshold for audit of MSMEs increased.
  • Extension of time limits pertaining to the tax benefits for affordable housing.
  • Issuance of Unique Registration Number to all charity institutions for easy tax compliance.
  • Health cess to be imposed on imports of medical equipment.
  • Dividend Distribution Tax removed and classical system of dividend taxation adopted
  • Simplified GST return shall be implemented from 1st April 2020. Refund process to be fully automated.
  • National Textile Mission to be launched with a proposed Rs 1,480 crore allocation. National Technical Textiles Mission for a period of 4 years
  • Allocation of Rs 27,300 crore for development of industry and commerce.
  • Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country has increased to $284 billion during 2014-19 from $190 billion in previous five years.
  • Scheme to encourage manufacturing of mobile phones, electronic equipment and semiconductor packaging
  • NIRVIK Scheme for higher export credit disbursement launched
  • Setting up of an Investment Clearance Cell to provide end to end facilitation
  • Extension of invoice financing to MSMEs through TReDs
  • A scheme to provide subordinated debt for entrepreneurs of MSMEs
  • Scheme anchored by EXIM Bank and SIDBI to handhold MSMEs in exports markets

 

~ Health Sector ~

  • Rs 69,000 crores allocated for the healthcare sector.
  • More than 20,000 empanelled hospitals under PM Jan Arogya Yojana.
  • FIT India movement launched to fight NCDs
  • Expansion of Jan Aushadhi Kendra Scheme to all districts by 2024

 

~ Infrastructure Sector ~

  • 9,000 km of economic corridor will be set up.
  • Chennai-Bengaluru expressway will also be started.
  • Delhi-Mumbai expressway to be completed by 2023.
  • 100 more airports to be developed by 2025
  • Transport infrastructure: Rs 1.7 lakh crore
  • National Infrastructure Pipeline: Rs 22,000 crore
  • National Logistics Policy to be launched soon National Logistics Policy to be launched soon
  • Accelerated development of Highways
  • Railways will set up Kisan Rail through PPP model so that perishable goods can be transported quickly.
  • 150 trains will run under the public private partnership (PPP) mode, also four stations will be redeveloped with the help of the private sector.
  • More Tejas type trains for tourist destinations
  • Coporatizing at least one major port
  • An International Bullion Exchange to be set up at GIFT City.
  • Power sector: Efforts to replace conventional energy meters by prepaid smart meters.
  • Gas Grid: Expand National Gas Grid to 27,000 km

 

~ Education & Training ~

  • Rs 99,300 crore allocated for education in FY21.
  • Govt will start Ind-Sat Exam to promote under Study in India programme and a degree-level online education programme for the deprived.
  • A total of Rs 3,000 crore will be given for skill development.
  • About 150 higher educational institutions will start apprenticeship embedded courses.
  • Internship opportunities to fresh engineers by urban local bodies.
  • Special bridge courses to improve skill sets of those seeking employment abroad.
  • Degree level online education programmes for students of deprived sections of the society.

 

~ Social Welfare Sector ~

  • Allocation for Swachh Bharat Mission for 2020-21 stands at Rs 12,300 crore.
  • In further push to PM Modi’s ‘Nal se jaal’ scheme, govt proposes Rs 3.6 lakh crore towards piped water supply to households.
  • Rs 35,600 crore allocated for nutritional related programme in FY21.
  • Rs 85,000 crore has been budgeted for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and other backward classes.
  • Rs 53,700 crore for Scheduled Tribes
  • Allocation for senior citizens and ‘Divyang’ enhanced to Rs 9500 crore.
  • Rs 4,400 crore to tackle Delhi’s air pollution problem.
  • Extends additional Rs 1.5 lakh tax benefit on interest paid on affordable housing loans to March 2021.
  • Tax holiday to affordable housing developers.

 

~ Women and Child Development ~

  • A task force to be appointed to recommend regarding lowering MMR and improving nutrition levels
  • Rs 28,600 crore will be allocated in FY21 for women-linked programmes.

 

~ Banking and Financial Sector ~

  • DICGC has been permitted to increase Deposit Insurance Coverage for a depositor from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per depositor.
  • Amendments in Banking regulation Act to strengthen Cooperative Banks.
  • Proposal to sell balance holding of the government of India IDBI Bank to private investors.
  • Recovery eligibility limit for NBFCs reduced to asset size of 100 crore or loan size of 50 lakh.
  • Separation of NPS Trust for government employees from PFRDAI
  • Specified categories of government securities would be opened for non-resident investors
  • FPI Limit for corporate bonds to be increased to 15 per cent.
  • New debt ETF proposed mainly for government securities

 

~ Technology Sector ~

  • 550 WiFi facilities have been commissioned at railway stations.1 lakh gram panchayats to get optical fibre link
  • An allocation of Rs 6,000 crore will be provided for BharatNet scheme.
    Rs 20,000 crore for renewable energy sector in a bid to tackle pollution and climate change.
  • A new scheme of smart meters will be launched.
  • An allocation of Rs 8,000 crore will be made for National Mission on Quantum Computing and Technology.
  • Knowledge Translation Clusters for emerging technology sectors
  • Scaling up of Technology Clusters harbouring test beds and small scale manufacturing facilities.

 

~ Disinvestment ~

  • Govt proposed an ambitious disinvestment target of PSU stake sales to the tune of Rs 2.1 lakh crore in the next financial year 2020-21.
  • Government to sell part holding in LIC.
  • Govt to also sell stake in IDBI Bank to private investors.

 

~ Agriculture & Allied Sectors ~

  • Budget allocation of Rs 2.83 lakh crore for agriculture and allied activities.
  • Doubling farmers incomes by 2020.
  • Krishi Udaan under Ministry of Civil Avaition on international and national routes to benefit farmers. Krishi Udaan scheme to transport agri products to national as well international destinations to be launched.
  • Self Help Groups will be allowed to set up village agri storage facilities.
  • NABARD will map and geo-tab 162 mn tonne capacity agri warehouses across country. FCI and Warehousing Corporation of India to build warehousing facility on their land.
    Government to incentivise farmers to go solar.
  • Over 6 crore farmers under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna have been insured.
  • Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha and Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) to be expanded, providing 20 lakh farmers in setting up standalone solar pumps.
  • Railways will set up Kisan Rail through PPP model so that perishable goods can be transported quickly.
  • Agri-credit target for the year 2020-21 has been set at Rs 15 lakh crore.
  • One horticulture crop in one district on cluster basis will be promoted.
    Viability gap funding for creation of efficient warehouses on PPP mode.
  • SHGs run Village storage scheme to be launched.
  • Integartion of e-NWR with e-NAM.
  • Elimination of FMD and brucellosis in cattle and PPR in sheep and goat by 2025.
  • Increasing coverage of artificial insemination to 70 per cent.
  • Doubling of milk processing capacity by 2025.
  • Fishery extention through 3477 Sagar Mitras and 500 fish FPOs.
  • Raise fishery exports to `1 lakh crore by 2024-25
  • Fish Production target of 200 lakh tonnes by 2022-23.

 

~ Culture & Tourism ~

  • Five archaeological sites would be developed as iconic sites with on-site museums would be developed at Rakhigarhi in Haryana, Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh, Sivasagar in Assam, Dholavira in Gujarat and Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu.
  • Indian Institute of Heritage and Conservation
  • Museum of Numismatics and trade
  • Tribal museum in Ranchi
  • Maritime Museum in Lothal
  • Tourism promotion gets Rs 2500 crore.
  • Ministry of Culture to get Rs 3,150 crore.

 

~ Fiscal Scenario ~

  • Fiscal deficit target pegged at 3.8% of GDP for FY 2019-20. FY21 fiscal deficit target pegged at 3.5% of GDP.

 

~ Miscellaneous ~

  • G20 Presidency in 2022 – Allocation of Rs 100 crore
  • Allocation of Rs 30,757 crore for Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir
  • Allocation of Rs 5,958 crore for Union Territory of Ladakh

 

  • State of Indian Economy §
  • Between 2006-2016, 271 million are out of poverty and we should be proud of it.
  • Total of 60 lakh new taxpayers and 105 crore e-way bills generated under GST
  • Central government debt reduced to 48.7 per cent of GDP in 2019 from 52.2 per cent.
  • India is now 5th largest economy in world.
  • Gross enrollment of girls is 94.32 per cent in elementary levels, 81.32 per cent in secondary level and 59.7 per cent in higher secondary level.
  • Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country has increased to $284 billion during 2014-19 from $190 billion in previous five years.
  • Nominal growth of GDP for 2020-21 has been estimated at 10 per cent
  • Receipts for 2020-21 estimated at 22.46 lakh crore rupees, and expenditure at 30.42 lakh crore rupees
  • ‘Vivad se Vishwas’ scheme for direct tax payers whose appeals are pending at various forum. 4.83 lakh direct cases pending in various appellate forums. Under the scheme, taxpayer to pay only amount of disputed tax. They will get complete waiver on interest and penalty if scheme is availed by March 31, 2020.
  • 15th Finance Commission has cut state share of central taxes by one percentage point to 41 per cent.
  • Rs 12.7 lakh crore to be transferred to states and union territories in 2020-21.
  • Government has insured 6.11 crore farmers under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna.
Centre to soon release National Logistics Policy
  • To create a single window e-logistics market, the Centre plans to release a ”National Logistics Policy”.
  • It will create a single window e-logistics market and focus on generation of employment, skills and making MSMEs competitive.
  • At present, India”s logistics sector is highly fragmented and the policy aims to reduce the logistics cost from 14 per cent of GDP to less than 10 per cent by 2022.
  • The sector provides livelihood to more than 22 million people and improving the sector will facilitate 10 per cent decrease in indirect logistics costs, leading to the growth of 5 to 8 per cent in exports.
  • The policy which has been formulated by the Commerce and Industry Ministry will improve India”s trade competitiveness, create more jobs, improve India”s performance in global rankings and pave the way for India to become a logistics hub.

 

Gopal Baglay appointed as High Commissioner to Sri Lanka
  • The government appointed Gopal Baglay as the next High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka.
  • Baglay, who is currently in the Prime Minister”s Office in New Delhi, will take over from Taranjit Singh Sandhu who was recently appointed as Ambassador to the US.
  • An 1992 batch IFS officer, Baglay has served in Moscow, London, Kathmandu and Islamabad besides holding key positions in the Ministry of External Affairs.
Government to launch new schemes to support export sector
  • To support and promote exports, the Centre proposed to launch new schemes in FY 2020-21.
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, said that the Centre plans to launch the Nirvik and ”Reversion of duties and taxes on exported products” scheme.
  • To achieve higher export credit disbursement, a new scheme, Nirvik is being launched, which provides for higher insurance coverage, reduction in premium for small exporters and simplified procedure for claim settlements.
  • It is proposed to digitally refund to exporters, duties and taxes levied at the Central, State and local levels, such as electricity duties and VAT on fuel used for transportation, which are not getting exempted or refunded under any other existing mechanism.
  • The development assumes significance as these schemes are expected to facilitate higher exports.
National Recruitment Agency for all computer based exams
  • Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that a National Recruitment Agency (NRA) will be set up for all computer-based examinations for recruitment to non-gazetted government and public sector banks posts.
  • The move has the potential to give a breath of fresh air for the youth of the country, who have been stuck in the vicious cycle of recruitment exams and an indefinite wait for jobs.
  • The Minister said that at present, candidates have to appear for multiple examinations conducted by multiple agencies at different points of time for similar posts.
  • To mitigate the hardship faced, it is proposed to set up a NRA as an independent, professional, specialist organisation for conduct of a computer-based online Common Eligibility Test for recruitment to non-gazetted posts
  • Non-gazetted jobs are the government jobs or posts which do not give the person the authority to issue an official stamp on the behalf of the government.
  • In terms of types of jobs, this includes Group B, Group C and Group D government jobs.

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FEBRUARY 03, 2020
Karbi New Year ‘Nikam Kimi’ celebrated
  • Nikam Kimi, the Karbi New Year was celebrated with pomp and gaiety throughout the district by different celebration committees.
  • As per the Karbi calendar, February 1 is considered as New Year by the community.
  • Nikam Kimi was celebrated throughout the day by holding various Karbi traditional events and games where male, female and youth participated.
  • It may be mentioned here that Ningkam Kimi was welcomed by symbolically releasing pigeons in the sky by the dignitaries.
  • The Karbi Ningkan Kimi (Karbi New Year) was celebrated with splendour and exuberance across the twin hill district of Karbi Anglong on February 1.
  • The Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) declared February 1 as official holiday.
US, India celebrate 70th Fulbright exchange program
  • The United States and India celebrated the 70th anniversary of the prestigious Fulbright exchange program which has awarded scholarships to over 11,000 Indians and Americans so far.
  • US Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce from Washington to attend the gala event in New Delhi.
  • The Fulbright program, created by Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946, was designed to increase mutual understanding among the people of the United States and the people of other countries. It has now grown into the premier US international educational exchange program in the world.
  • The binational United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) was among the earliest of the Fulbright Commissions or foundations.
  • On February 2, 1950, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and US Ambassador to India Loy Henderson signed a bilateral agreement to implement and administer a country Fulbright Program on behalf of the partner governments.
  • Since its inception, USIEF has awarded approximately 11,128 Fulbright Fellowships to Indians and Americans.
  • On July 4, 2008, the United States and India signed a historic new Fulbright agreement that made India a full partner in the governance and funding of the Fulbright Program.
Sakhi centre, one-stop centre to provide support to women of sexual violence, inaugurated in Tezpur
  • Sakhi, a one-stop centre to provide integrated support and assistance under one roof for women affected by sexual and physical violence, was inaugurated at VidyaMandir building at Dhanua Nagar, Morabharalipaar.
  • The one-stop centre has been set up by the Sonitpur district administration and the Social Welfare Department to provide integrated services of medical and legal aid, guidance on the procedure of registering police complaints, along with psycho-social counselling and temporary shelter to women who have been victims of sexual or physical violence.
  • A toll-free number 181 has also been made available for women in distress.
  • The scheme is Centrally sponsored by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development under the National Mission for Empowerment of Women.

FEBRUARY 04, 2020

Madhya Pradesh’s Kalidas Awards for Assam dance guru, Kathak danseuse
  • Veteran classical dance guru from Assam, Jatin Goswami, and renowned Kathak danseuse Guru Uma Sharma will be conferred Madhya Pradesh”s prestigious cultural award, National Kalidas Samman, for 2017 and 2018 respectively during the Khajuraho Dance festival.
  • The award amount comprises Rs 2 lakh and a plaque.
  • Goswami, 87, is a legendary choreographer of the Sattriya dance form which originated in eastern Assam.
  • It is a dance-drama form with origins in the Krishna-centric Vaishnavist monasteries of Assam and attributed to the 15th century Bhakti movement scholar and saint Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev.
  • Sharma has a reputation as a senior guru, choreographer and dancer in the field of Kathak dance.
  • Born in Delhi in 1942, she received dance education from Guru Hiralal and GirivarDayal.
  • Following the Kathak tradition of the Jaipur Gharana, she also received guidance from ShambhuMaharaj and BirjuMaharaj. Her dedication to Kathak is acknowledged the world over. She has also received the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.
India to have 10 more Defence Attaches
  • To strengthen India’s defence diplomacy, the Ministry of Defence announced creation of 10 new posts of Defence Attaches (DAs).
  • The government has introduced a new scheme to promote defence exports through Defence Attaches to their respective countries.
  • Under this scheme, funds have been allocated for export promotion to 34 countries.
  • The Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) have also opened offices for their liaison officers in countries like Vietnam, Singapore, Myanmar, Oman and others.
  • India has also offered several defence Line of Credits (LOC) to friendly countries to allow Indian defence exports and increase their presence in the global market.
IIT-Madras builds AI technology to convert brain signals into language
  • Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras) have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to convert brain signals of speech impaired humans into language.
  • The researchers can potentially interpret nature’s signals such as the plant photosynthesis process or their response to external forces.
  • Electrical signals, brain signals, or any signal in general, are waveforms which are decoded to meaningful information using physical law or mathematical transforms such as Fourier Transform or Laplace Transform.
  • The output result is the ionic current, which represents the flow of ions which are charged particles.
  • These electrically driven ionic current signals are worked on to be interpreted as human language meaning speech. This would tell us what the ions are trying to communicate with us.
  • They tested this concept by getting experimental electrical signals through experiments in the laboratory to get signals from nanofluidic transport inside nanopores.
  • The nanopores were filled with saline solution and mediated using an electric field.

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FEBRUARY 05, 2020

Highest priority accorded to North Eastern Region in Union Budget 2020-21
  • Union Minister of Development of North Eastern Region is Jitendra Singh (Minister of state, Independent Charge) said the hallmark of the Union Budget 2020-21 is that it accords the highest priority to the overall development of the Northeastern region.
  • The budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) saw a hike of over 14 per cent from Rs 2,670 crore last year to Rs 3,049 crore in 2020-21.
  • The budget for the North Eastern Council (NEC) has been doubled from Rs 700 crore to Rs 1,474 crore in the last five years.
  • The budget has accorded the highest priority to the overall development of the Northeastern region keeping in tune with the vision and declaration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he came to power in 2014.
  • He said there is a constant and progressive rise in funds for the development of the Northeastern region since 2014.
  • In case of the Ministry of DoNER, the budgetary allocation for 2020-21 is Rs 3,049 crore as against Rs 2,670 crore in the Revised Estimate (RE) 2019-20. Of the total Rs 3,049 crore, the provision for development of infrastructure is around Rs 2,900 crore compared to Advance Estimate (AE) 2014-15 of Rs 1,719 crore.
  • The budget allocation of the Ministry of DoNER in 2020-21 is higher by 77.26 per cent, he said.
  • In case of schemes being implemented by the North Eastern Council (NEC), the current year’s budgetary allocation is Rs 1,474 crore, an increase of 19.23 per cent over RE 2019-20 allocation of Rs 1,237 crore.
  • The government is ensuring smooth access to financial assistance from multilateral and bilateral funding agencies to help introduce innovative and global best practices. The Central government has effectively used an online portal to reduce gestation period. This has improved the flow of funds to the Northeast region.
  • The inland waterways received a boost in the last five years. The Jal Vikas Marg on National Waterway-1 will be completed. Further, the 890-km Dhubri-Sadiya waterway will be completed by 2022.
  • Plans are afoot to energise eco-heritage sites. Government proposes to establish an Indian Institute of Heritage and Conservation under the Ministry of Culture; it shall have the status of a deemed university to start with.
  • Five archaeological sites – Rakhigarhi (Haryana), Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh), Sivasagar (Assam), Dholavira (Gujarat) and Adichanallur (Tamil Nadu) – would be developed as iconic sites with on-site museums.
Union Cabinet approves amendment Bill for IIITs
  • The Union Cabinet has approved the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
  • The Bill grants statutory status to five Indian Institutes of Information Technology in Public-Private Partnership mode at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur and declare them as Institutions of National Importance along with the existing 15 Indian Institutes of Information Technology under the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act, 2017.
  • The Bill, once it gets parliamentary approval, will amend the principal Acts of 2014 and 2017 to enable these IIITs to use the nomenclature of Bachelor”s in Technology (B.Tech) or Master”s in Technology (M.Tech) or Ph.D degree as issued by a university or Institution of National Importance.
  • It will enable the institutes to attract enough students required to develop a strong research base in the country in the field of information technology.
  • The five IIITs at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur are already functioning as societies registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.
  • After changes in the existing laws, these institutions will be covered under the IIIT (PPP) Act, 2017, similar to 15 others established under the scheme in the PPP mode.
UP to procure Dornier aircraft to ferry passengers
  • Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that his government will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with HAL for two 19 seater Dornier aircraft for non-military purpose.
  • The aircraft can be used to ferry passenger from one destination to another.
  • The Chief Minister said that flight services could be started from Lucknow to Varanasi or Lucknow to Agra.
  • He also said that his government is making a military manufacturing policy so that Uttar Pradesh can become a hub of defence production.
  • The Chief Minister also said that the corridor is being developed with an objective of promoting indigenisation and supporting the ”Make in India” initiative towards fulfilling equipment requirements worth over $250 billion by 2025.
  • The Chief Minister announced that his government has planned to develop the Ganga Expressway from Uttar Pradesh to Bihar.

 

FEBRUARY 06, 2020

Chief Minister Conrad Sangma inaugurated Meghalaya Police Academy
  • Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma inaugurating the Meghalaya Police Academy in Ri-Bhoi district. With this, Meghalaya got its own police academy which, in due course of time, is expected to be developed as a research centre to study the social pattern related to crimes and the health of the State’s population.
  • The Meghalaya Police Academy is located at Umran, Niangbyrnai, close to the North Eastern Police Academy (NEPA) in Ri-Bhoi district. The academy will initially take in 40 trainees.
  • This centre should also function as a research centre by bringing together the society, not necessarily in policing, but in maintaining law and order with simple standard operating procedures right from the village level.
  • Maintaining law and order has become more complicated, and requires specialised training and skill sets under the changing scenario. Issues like cyber crimes have made a huge impact on the society and stressed the need of analysing situations with new skills and technologies.
  • The first phase of the academy has been built with a total fund of Rs 50 crore provided by the 13th Finance Commission from 2013. Work for the second phase of the academy will start soon with an additional fund of Rs 92 crore from the 15th Finance Commission.
  • The NEPA, which was established in 1978, is mandated to provide training to recruits in the police forces from all the North Eastern State. Some State Police personnel undergo training at the NEPA, while the majority are trained at the Police Training School (PTS).
HAL signs MoU with Israeli firm to make & sell drones
  • Indian state-owned aerospace and defence company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bengaluru based Dynamatic Technologies Limited (DTL) and Israel Aerospace Industries Limited (IAI) at DefExpo 2020.
  • In India drones are playing significant role in wars and other tactical missions such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
  • HAL has the best capability and infrastructure available in India to manufacture world class and battle-proven drones.
  • HAL as a long-time partner of IAI is involved in the depot level maintenance of all ranges of drones supplied by IAI to the Indian forces since 2004.
  • The partnership would be the first in the country to manufacture IAI designed UAVs in India such as short range tactical class having long endurance.
  • This collaboration will enhance technology sharing and business partnership between India and Israel.
Union Cabinet decision for Cooperative Banks to come under RBI regulations
  • The Union Cabinet has taken a major step to reform the cooperative banks of the country. Now the banking operations of as many as 1540 cooperative banks of the country have come under the regulation of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
  • At present, commercial, scheduled and nationalised banks regulate under RBI.
  • But now under the Banking Regulation Amendment Act 2019, the norms of commercial banks will be applicable on cooperative banks as well.
  • The administrative system of the cooperative banks will continue as per the rules of the Co-operative Registrar as usual.
  • RBI norms will apply only to the banking system of cooperative banks.
  • Now candidates will have to qualify and fulfil certain conditions to become a cooperative bank officer.
  • Rules will also have to be followed for loan waiver. If the situation worsens, RBI will also have the rights to supersede and take control of the bank.
South Salmara Mankachar district bagged national award for Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
  • The South SalmaraMankachar district has bagged a national award for proper execution of Pradhan Mantri MatruVandanaYojana (PMMVY) scheme.
  • Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani, presented the award at a function held at New Delhi recently.
  • Indore of Madhya Pradesh and Kurnool of Andhra Pradesh shared first and the second prize respectively, while South SalmaraMankachar district bagged the third prize.
  • The Assam team was represented by JishnuBaruah, Additional Chief Secretary of Assam; Hemen Das, Secretary to the Government of Assam, Social Welfare Department; Niva Das, Joint Director, Social Welfare Department and KishoriBaruah, District Social Welfare Officer of South SalmaraMankachar district.

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FEBRUARY 07, 2020

Govt proposes jail term for ads promoting magic remedies
  • The Health and Family Welfare Ministry has proposed the draft amendment to the Drugs and magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements Act, 1954), with a stringent punishment of a jail term of up to five years and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.
  • For advertisements for magic remedies and drugs for fair skin, enhancing sexual performance, stammering, infertility in women, premature ageing and greying, increasing brain capacity among others.
  • The draft amendment has made several additions to the list of diseases, disorders, conditions covered in the Act.
  • The Act says that medicines, “magic remedies” and products to cure any of these 78 diseases, disorders, conditions named should not be advertised.
  • Under the Act, the first conviction is punishable with imprisonment of up to six months or fine or both; and a subsequent conviction can result in imprisonment of up to a year or fine, or both.
  • The amendment proposes to increase the penalties. For the first conviction, the proposed punishment is imprisonment of up to two years and fine up to Rs 10 lakh. For subsequent conviction, the imprisonment may extend to five years with a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.
  • The draft bill also proposes an expansion of definition of an advertisement.
  • It says, “any audio or visual publicity, representation, endorsement or pronouncement made by means of light, sound, smoke, gas, print, electronic media, internet or website and includes any notice, circular, label, wrapper, invoice, banner, poster or such other documents.
Tripura CM seeks Israeli help in security, water management
  • Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb held a meeting with Israeli Ambassador to India Ron Malka in New Delhi and discussed mutual cooperation in a variety of fields including security and surveillance systems.
  • Deb discussed diverse potential areas of cooperation with the Israel Ambassador.
  • The Chief Minister discussed about the joint cooperation on the areas of security and surveillance system, water management, agriculture, food processing, packaging, cold storage, technology transfer, tourism and culture.
  • The Israeli Ambassador expressed willingness to visit Tripura along with his team soon.
J&K Administrative Council approved the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission
  • The Jammu & Kashmir Administrative Council approved the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and the roadmap to achieve 100 per cent coverage of piped water supply by December 2021 across the region aligning it to the National Mission of Jal Jeevan.
  • The objective of the mission is to provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) to every rural household with priority to desert, drought prone,border areas, schools, anganwadi and health centres.
  • Under the mission, sustainability of the water supply system will be ensured besides empowerment and development of human resource in the sector so as to meet the demands of construction, plumbing and water quality management.
  • Under the National Jal Jeevan Mission, every rural household of the country will be connected with piped water supply by 2024 with an aim ”HarGharNal Se Jal”.
  • At present, 30.5% of J&K’s rural households have piped water connections compared to the national average of 18%.
  • To achieve 100 per cent coverage under JJM in a phased manner by December 2021, the PHE Department has carried out a detailed exercise to prepare a District Water Security Plan through the District Water and Sanitation Mission headed by the concerned Deputy Commissioners.
  • In the initial phase, seven districts viz. Poonch, Reasi, Samba, Srinagar, Ganderbal, Shopian and Pulwama will be covered for 100% piped water supply by June 2020.
  • In the second phase, seven more districts will be covered by June 2021 and the remaining six districts shall be covered in the third phase ending December 2021.
Indian, Russian companies ink 14 defence MoUs
  • As many as 14 MoUs were signed between Russian original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Indian companies at Defexpo currently on in Lucknow.
  • The MoUs were signed during the fifth round of India-Russia military industrial conference which was co-chaired by Ajay Kumar, Defence Secretary, and Oleg Ryazantsev, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russian Federation.
  • The first ”Request for Proposal” for manufacturing of parts in India under the provision of inter-governmental agreement was also handed over by the Indian Navy to the identified Indian industry.
  • Representatives from both the countries acknowledged that the MoUs would pave the way for more contracts for joint manufacturing of spares parts.
  • The IGA provides framework for partnership of Russian OEMs with Indian industry for manufacturing of spare parts of Russian origin equipment in use by the Indian defence forces.
  • The Indian side has taken steps to expedite the collaboration between the Indian and Russian companies as the country looks forward to expeditious commencement of manufacturing in India.

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Assam Current Affairs – January 29 – 31, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – January 29 - 31, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of January 29 – 31, 2020 )

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JANUARY 29, 2020

Assam gets best tableau award for Republic Day 2020 parade
  • Assam’s Republic Day tableau has been adjudged best among the tableaus from 16 states and Union Territories. The tableau of Assam was based on the theme ‘Land of Unique Craftsmanship and Culture’.
  • Tableau of Odisha and Uttar Pradesh were named joint second best. The tableau of Odisha displayed the famous Rukuna RathaYatra of Lord Lingaraja worshipped as both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu in a sixth century built temple named ‘Lingaraj Temple’ at Bhubaneswar.
  • The tableau of Uttar Pradesh mirrored the cultural and religious tourism of the state with the theme ‘Sarva Dharma SamaBhav’.
  • Among the six tableaus from different ministries and departments, Ministry of Jal Shakti and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) won the joint best tableau award.
  • The tableau of Central Public Works Department (CPWD), with the theme ‘Kashmir se Kanyakumari’, bagged the special prize for showcasing different parts of the country decorated with colourful and fragrant flowers.
  • The Defence Minister gave away the award of best cultural performance to the children of SarvodayaKanyaVidyalaya, B-Block, Janakpuri, New Delhi.
Odisha CM launches virtual police station
  • Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a virtual police station, which will facilitate online registration of FIR in unknown motor vehicle theft cases.
  • The Chief Minister also launched medico legal opinion system and road accident case document module at LokSevaBhawan which is aimed at reducing human interface with government offices.
  • The Chief Minister said that the government is committed to providing citizen-centric governance under 5-T.
  • The virtual police station is an online mechanism established at the State Crime Records Bureau in Bhubaneswar to facilitate online registration of FIR in unknown motor vehicle theft cases.
  • It will benefit citizens for claiming insurance in motor vehicle theft cases.
  • The road accident case documents module is a web-based application and it will help insurance companies or the victims in downloading the required documents like FIR, final form, spot map, MVI report and post mortem report.
  • The medico legal opinion system is a web-based system and it is helpful to both the police and medical professionals.
  • Under it, the police can submit requisitions online for medical examination of victims. Besides, the doctors will upload their medical examination reports online which will be downloaded by the police for necessary action.
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship organised Great Indian Media Job Festival
  • The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has organised India’s first and largest media job festival – Great Indian Media Job Festival.
  • The job fest, organised in alliance with the Media and Entertainment Skill Council (MESC), began on January 27 and will continue till February 1.
  • Hiring will be carried in 78 Arena/MAAC Centres in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Indore, Pune and Baroda.
  • More than 100 recruiters will hire staff across graphic design, 3D modelling, VFX, web designing, motion graphics, rotoscopy, animation and other job roles.
CM Sonowal distributes land patta to indigenous landless people
  • The Chief Minister Sonowal distributed the land pattas and land allotment letters to 4,513 landless indigenous families.
  • Satradhikar of Dakhinpat Satra Nanigopal Devagoswami was among those who received the land patta from the Chief Minister on behalf of the satra.
  • Apart from distributing financial assistance of Rs 3,800 per family to 176 flood-hit families, the Chief Minister also gave away financial grants to 187 schools under the 14th Finance Commission.

 

JANUARY 30, 2020

Assam Sahitya Sabha announces awards, honours
  • The Asam Sahitya Sabha has announced a host of awards and honours including the Preranamoyi Nari Sanman’ which would be conferred on RekhaBaruah for her exploits in the literary field.
  • The Sabha will confer the honour on Baruah under its president’s special honour and award category.
  • Dr Narayan Das has been chosen for the BhashaPran honour in recognition of his work in Assamese and Brajabuli languages.
  • The AnubadRatna honour has been conferred posthumously on BhrigugiriMaharaj for translating the Samaveda and the Atharva Veda into Assamese.
  • ParthaSarathiMahanta has been chosen for the Ananda Chandra Agarwala award for his contribution to Assamese literature and cinema.
  • The BisheshSamajHitoyshi, BisheshYuvaSahitya and Special Cultural Organiser (by Medhi Dharani-AlokaNyas) awards which will be given to Ganesh Tamuli, BarnaliKalita and Tarun Azad Deka respectively.
  • The Sabha also named DhrubajyotiSarma for the MahendraBorthakur Memorial Special Playwright Award.
  • Habibur Rahman will be given the M Ilimuddin Dewan Award and Samar Talukdar the Hari Prasad Neog Award.
Tripura unveils new Tourism Policy
  • The Tripura Government has adopted a new tourism policy with special emphasis on religious tourism, tea tourism and eco-tourism to promote the State in a big way.
  • The Tourism Development Corporation was launched in 2008 and a separate department for tourism was created in 2013, but there has been no progress in this sector. We are trying to reverse this trend and ensure growth of this sector.
  • The State Cabinet has decided to approach the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to get Unakoti, a hidden treasure of spiritual tourism in the State, listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
  • The splendid rock works at Unakoti near Dharmanagar subdivision are under the protection of the ASI.
  • Tourism is the priority sector for the State Government as it is a revenue multiplier. An increase in tourist flow would introduce the rich cultural heritage of the State to the world, which would be beneficial for the State in multiple sectors like trade and commerce.
  • The new tourism policy will ensure coordinated development of the tourism sector in a bid to attract domestic as well as foreign tourists.
  • In 2017-2018, altogether 4,83,488 tourists visited Tripura, but the footfall grew in 2018-2019 with 5,29,879 tourists visiting the State. In 2019-2020, 3,97,202 tourists visited the State up to November and this year’s final figure will surely cross the previous year’s number. There has been an increase in the number of foreign tourists also.
  • The Central Government is providing funds for development of tourist destinations under the Swadesh Darshan scheme.
NCRB launches missing person, vehicle NOC services
  • The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) launched two police-related, citizen-centric services on the Crime and CCTNS platform which will help people in searching for missing persons and generating vehicle NOC (No Objection Certificates).
  • It is the first time that these services ”Missing Person Search” and ”Generate Vehicle NOC” are being launched centrally while such services were being provided through the state citizen portals so far.
  • These services can be accessed through ”digitalpolicecitizenservices.gov.in” portal or through a link in the existing ”Digital Police Portal”.
  • In this user-friendly search, a citizen may enter search criteria in the portal and the system will search for it from the available national database across the country and will display the result immediately with photograph and other details.
  • Generate Vehicle NOC allows citizens to ascertain the status of a vehicle before its second-hand purchase, as to whether it is suspicious or clean from police records.
  • This search could be made against national database based on vehicle”s details. One can generate and download the relevant NOC required by the RTO before the transfer of ownership.
India’s gold demand falls 9 % on record prices in 2019, said World Gold Council (WGC)
  • India’s gold demand fell nine per cent to 690.4 tonnes in 2019 from the previous calendar year as record domestic prices and economic slowdown dented retail purchase, the World Gold Council (WGC) said.
  • However, in 2020, gold demand in India, the world’s second biggest consumer after China, could increase to 700-800 tonnes on hopes of increased acceptance of high price level and likely economic reforms boosting consumer confidence.
  • The domestic gold price finished 2019 just above Rs 39,000 per ten grams, almost 24 per cent higher than at the end of 2018.
  • As policy measures unfold, broader economic growth accelerates and local prices of the past six months become more acceptable among households, India’s gold demand will be in the range of 700-800 tonnes in 2020.
  • Already, the government has made hallmarking (quality certification) mandatory on January 15, 2020 with a transition period of one year for the trade to sell or change its existing non-hallmarked inventory. This is an overdue reform and a positive step towards making the Indian gold more trustworthy.
  • In 2019, the WGC said India’s gold demand in volume terms declined to 690.4 tonnes from 760.4 tonnes in 2018, out of which jewellery demand fell nine per cent to 544.6 tonnes from 598 tonnes, while bar and coins demand also dropped 10 per cent to 145.8 tonnes from 162.4 tonnes in the said period.
  • However in value terms, the country’s gold demand rose three per cent to Rs 2,17,770 crore in 2019 from Rs 2,11,860 crore in the previous year.
  • India’s gold import including through grey channels, the WGC said it declined by 14 per cent to 646.8 tonnes in 2019 from 755.7 tonnes in 2018. Imports through grey market stood at 115-120 tonnes in 2019.

 

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JANUARY 31, 2020

Union Govt approves 30 per cent funds for NEC projects
  • The Centre approved allocation of 30 per cent funds of the North Eastern Council (NEC) for new projects for focused development of deprived areas and neglected sections of society.
  • As per the plans, allocation of 30 per cent of NEC funds will be for new projects under the existing ‘Schemes of North Eastern Council’ for focused development of deprived areas; deprived or neglected sections of society and emerging priority sectors in the northeastern states.
  • The balance allocation shall be bifurcated in the existing two components – state component of 60 per cent and Central component of 40 per cent.
  • The projects will be allowed under state component, up to 25 per cent of each state’s normative allocation, for sectors not covered in the mandate of NEC, but which are considered important as per local felt needs as per recommendations of the state governments.
  • The projects under the existing ‘Schemes of NEC’ will accrue socioeconomic benefits to the marginalised and vulnerable groups of people in backward and neglected areas of the northeastern states.
Busu festival celebrated in Dima Hasao
  • Busu or Bishu, one of the major festivals of Dimasa people was celebrated throughout the district of Dima Hasao with great enthusiasm and traditional fervour.
  • At Maibang, the Jidab Busu was celebrated at Damadi Hawar with a three-day programme, which saw participation of hundreds of people. They also organized traditional games , sports and dance competitions during the event.
  • Greater Maibang central Busu was organized at Dishru Sports Complex Mabang, where Naba Kumar Doley, State Minister of Panchayat and Rural Development Department attended as the chief guest.
  • The State Government is committed in preserving and protecting tradition and culture of all communities living in Assam.
  • Busu is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Dimasa people. ‘Busu’ means festival of eating newly-grown autumnal rice, and so it can be considered as a harvesting festival too.
Govt takes over IMEI-related processes from private body
  • The Department of Telecom has taken over the process to issue and manage IMEI allocation for mobile phones in India from the private body MSAI.
  • The IMEI number – a unique 15-digit serial number of mobile devices – is allocated by global industry body GSMA and organisations authorised by it. When a mobile phone is lost, the victim is required to mention the IMEI number of the handset for tracking.
  • The Department of Telecom (DoT) had issued a standard operating procedure in May 2015 to prohibit import of mobile phones with duplicate, fake and non-genuine international mobile equipment identity.
  • The process was being managed by Mobile Standard Alliance of India (MSAI), erstwhile reporting body of GSMA in India.
  • The government has decided to replace the MSAI operated system and hence a new system, Indian Counterfeited Device Restriction (ICDR) system, has been developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics – R&D unit of DoT for implementing the SOP.
  • The new system has been operationalised on pilot basis on the web portal of Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR). The CEIR is being used to block all services on stolen or lost mobile phones on any network even if the SIM card is removed or the IMEI number of the handset is changed.

FACTFILE – International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)

  • The International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI is a number, usually unique, to identify 3GPP and iDEN mobile phones, as well as some satellite phones.
  • It is usually found printed inside the battery compartment of the phone, but can also be displayed on-screen on most phones by entering *#06# on the dialpad, or alongside other system information in the settings menu on smartphone operating systems.
  • GSM networks use the IMEI number to identify valid devices, and can stop a stolen phone from accessing the network.

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Assam Current Affairs – January 22 – 28, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – January 22 - 28, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of January 22 – 28, 2020 )

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JANUARY 22, 2020

Assam ranked 7th in 3rd Khelo India Youth Games medal tally
  • Defending champions Maharashtra romped to a whopping 256 medals, including 78 gold and 77 silver in the 3rd edition of the Khelo India Youth Games that came to an end.
  • Assam clinched as many as four gold medals on the penultimate day of the 3rd Khelo India Youth Games. Shivangi Sarma added one more gold to raise her gold medal tally to five. At the Dr Zakir Hussain Aquatic Centre in the Sarusajai Sports Complex, Shivangi won gold in 50m freestyle. Milanton S Dutta (bronze in 50m breaststroke) and Anubhuti Baruah (bronze in 200m butterfly) wee the other swimmers to win medals for Assam today.
  • Assam tennis pair of Parikshit Somani and Sheikh Md Iftikhar won gold in boys U-21 category defeating Shashank Macherla and Sai Karteek Reddy of Telangana in straight sets 6-3, 6-1.
  • In lawn bowling, Assam bagged two more gold medals in mixed pair and triple. The doubles pair team comprised Suman Kumari Pandey and Abhishek Handique while the members of triple team were Adinita Kakoti, Scion Shiv Mahanta and Surajit Buragohain. Assam created a record by winning seven gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals. Previously no team could win such number of medals in any national championship.
  • Isha Rani Baruah and Ankita Gogoi won a silver medal in badminton doubles. The boxing medal winners were – Aikon Mili (silver in 52kg), Pranta Ghatowar (silver in 57kg), Karamveer Phogat (silver in 70kg).

Medal tally by states

Rank State Gold Medal Silver Medal       Bronze Medal      Medal Tally

1      Maharashtra       78     77     101   256

2      Haryana     68     60     72     200

3      Delhi 39     36     47     122

4      Karnataka  32     26     22     80

5      Uttar Pradesh     29     28     30     87

6      Tamil Nadu 22     32     22     76

7      Assam       20     22     34     76

8      West Bengal       19     14     20     53

9      Gujarat      16     16     20     52

10     Punjab       16     15     28     59

 

ICCW National Bravery Awards 2019
  • Twenty two children, consist of 10 girls and 12 boys, from 12 states have been selected for the ICCW National Bravery Awards 2019.
  • Adithya K.,15, from Kerala will get the coveted Bharat Award for saving more than 40 lives after a bus they were travelling in caught fire.
  • Indian Council of Child Welfare (ICCW) has instituted five special awards this year — ICCW Markandeya Award, ICCW Dhruva Award, ICCW Abhimanyu Award, ICCW Prahalada Award & ICCW Shravan Award.
  • ICCW Markandeya Award goes to 10-year-old Rakhi from Uttarakhand, who saved her four-year-old brother from a leopard.
  • ICCW Dhruva Award goes to Purnima Giri, 16, and SabitaGiri, 15, from Odisha for saving 12 persons from drowning after a boat capsized in a river full of crocodiles.
  • ICCW Abhimanyu Award has been given posthumously to Muhammed Mushin E.C. who saved three friends from a violent sea but himself died in the process.
  • SrimatiBadra, 10, has been nominated for ICCW Prahalada Award for helping a friend who lost her right leg in a train accident. Due to her timely and courageous action, her friend”s life was saved.
  • ICCW Shravan Award has been given to SartajMohiudinMugal from J&K for saving his sisters and parents when his house collapsed after an artillery shell hit it.
  • The other recipients are Sri Kamal Krishna Das from Assam, KantiPaikra and BhameshwariNirmalkar from Chhattisgarh, Alaika (Himachal Pradesh), Aarti Kiran Shet and Venkatesh (both from Karnataka), Mudasir Ashraf (J&K), Fathah P.K. from Kerala, Zen Sadavarte and Master Akash MachindraKhillare, both from Maharashtra, LourembamYaikhombaMangang from Manipur, Everbloom K. Nongrum from Meghalaya, Master Lalliansanga, Carolyn Malsawmtluangi and Master Vanlalhriatrenga (all from Mizoram).
  • The National Bravery Awards were started by the Indian Council for Child Welfare in 1957 to recognise children for outstanding deeds of bravery and meritorious service and to inspire others to emulate their example.
  • The ICCW has so far honoured 1,004 children with the award, including 703 boys and 301 girls.
PM Modi, Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli open second ICP at Jogbani-Biratnagar
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Nepal counterpart K.P. Sharma Oli jointly inaugurated the second Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Jogbani-Biratnagar.
  • The Jogbani-Biratnagar border is an important trade point between the two countries.
  • This is the second ICP on the Nepal border. The first was built in 2018.
  • The second Integrated Check Post at Jogbani-Biratnagar was built with Indian assistance to facilitate trade and people”s movement across India-Nepal border.
  • Both the Prime Ministers participated through videoconference.
  • Both Prime Ministers also appreciated India-assisted post-earthquake housing reconstruction projects in Nepal.
DAC Approves procurement of Rs 5,100 crore indigenous equipment
  • The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved several procurement proposals to boost the ”Make in India” initiative.
  • The DAC accorded approval for procurement of equipment worth over Rs 5,100 crore from indigenous sources.
  • The DAC also approved prototype testing of trawl assemblies designed by DRDO for T-72 and T-90 tanks providing an important indigenous de-mining capability to the Army.
  • These include sophisticated Electronic Warfare Systems for the Army designed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured locally by the Indian industry.
  • These systems will be used in deserts and plains and will provide comprehensive electronic support and counter measure capabilities to the field formations in both communication and other aspects of electronic warfare.
  • The DAC approved shortlisting of Indian Strategic Partners (SP) and the potential Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that would collaborate with SPs to construct six conventional submarines in India.
  • The DAC also accorded approval for inclusion of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) in defence procurement procedure. This would provide avenues in capital procurement for the armed forces to startups and innovators working for iDEX and provide a huge fillip to their budding efforts.

 

JANUARY 23, 2020

Assam CM inaugurates Atal Tinkering Lab at school in Guwahati
  • Chief Minister SarbanandaSonowal today inaugurated an Atal Tinkering Lab at Sanskriti The Gurukul in a move to inculcate scientific temperament among students.
  • Atal Tinkering Lab is an approach of the Central government to create an environment of innovation, creativity amongst the students.
  • The Government of India has allocated financial support in the form of grant-in-aid for establishing the Atal Tinkering Lab, an initiative of NITI Aayog.

FACTFILE – Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs)

  • With a vision to ‘Cultivate one Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators’, Atal Innovation Mission, an initiative of the NITI Aayog, is establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in schools across India.
  • The objective is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds and inculcate skills such as design mind – set, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing, rapid calculations, measurements etc. Young children will get a chance to work with tools and equipment to understand what, how and why aspects of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
  • ATL is a work space where young minds can give shape to their ideas through hands on do-it-yourself mode; and learn innovation skills. Young children will get a chance to work with tools and equipment to understand the concepts of STEM
  • ATL would contain educational and learning ‘do it yourself’ kits and equipment on – science, electronics, robotics, open source microcontroller boards, sensors and 3D printers and computers. Other desirable facilities include meeting rooms and video conferencing facility.
  • In order to foster inventiveness among students, ATL can conduct different activities ranging from regional and national level competitions, exhibitions, workshops on problem solving, designing and fabrication of products, lecture series etc. at periodic intervals.
  • AIM will provide grant-in-aid that includes a one-time establishment cost of Rs. 10 lakh and operational expenses of Rs. 10 lakh for a maximum period of 5 years to each ATL.
Union Govt decided to have National Security Guards centre in Punjab
  • The central government has decided to set up a regional centre of the National Security Guards (NSG) in Pathankot in Punjab.
  • Pathankot city has defence establishments, including the frontier Indian Air Force (IAF) base that was attacked by terrorists.
  • The state Home Secretary has asked the district administration to identify a piece of land for the NSG centre.
  • Pathankot lies in the north of Punjab, close to international border with Pakistan and the troubled state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Union cabinet approved various MoU between India and Brazil
  • The Union cabinet approved the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between India”s Indian Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Brazilian Ministry of Citizenship for bilateral cooperation in the field of early childhood.
  • The MoU will strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two countries and increase bilateral cooperation on the issues of early childhood care.
  • Union cabinet accorded approval to the agreement between India and Brazil on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. The agreement aims to enhance the effectiveness of both countries in investigation and prosecution of crime through cooperation and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.
  • The agreement aims to enhance the effectiveness of both countries in investigation and prosecution of crime through cooperation and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.
  • The proposed agreement will provide a broad legal framework for bilateral cooperation with Brazil in investigation and prosecution of crime as well as in tracing, restraint and confiscation of proceeds and instruments of crime as well as the fund meant to finance terrorist acts.
  • The Cabinet also approved for a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to be signed between India and Brazil on cooperation in the field of geology and mineral resources. The agreement will be signed between the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Geological Survey of Brazil (CPRM), it will provide an institutional mechanism between the GSI and the CPRM for cooperation in the field of geology and mineral Resources.
  • A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between India and Brazil on cooperation in the field of oil and natural gas is also approved. The MoU will enhance cooperation between the two sides in the oil and natural gas sector.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the closure of Hindustan Fluorocarbons Ltd (HFL)
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the closure of Hindustan Fluorocarbons Ltd (HFL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals.
  • The company was not operational and the decision only means an official closure of the public sector unit.
  • Hindustan Fluorocarbons was incorporated on July 14, 1983, as a subsidiary company of Hindustan Organic Chemicals Ltd (HOCL). The plant is located at Rudraram in district Sangareddy of Telangana.
  • The company started commercial production in 1987 and was engaged in the manufacture of Poly Tetra Fluoro Ethylene (PTFE) and of Chloro Di Fluoro Methane (CFM-22)
  • PTFE is used in chemical, mechanical, electrical and electronic industries and has strategic applications in the defence and aerospace sectors while CFM-22 is used pure or in mixture form for refrigeration.

 

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JANUARY 24, 2020

Silchar lift RG Baruah Trophy
  • Silchar defeated Guwahati by in the final of the U-16 Inter District Cricket Tournament for the RG Baruah Trophy. In the two-day final played at the Khirod Baruah Stradium, Morigaon, in reply to Silchar’s first innings total of 296, Guwahati were all out for 137. In the second innings Silchar scored 244 for seven when stumps were finally drawn.
  • Assam Cricket Association vice president Porikshit Dutta, noted cricketer Abu Nechim Ahmed among others were present in the closing function.
Manipur CM Biren Singh opens conference of Manipur IT companies ‘MITCON’
  • Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh inaugurated the first edition of MITCON 2020, a conference of IT companies of the State, in Imphal.
  • The conference was organised by the Information and Technology (INCOTE) Foundation, a conglomerate body of 16 IT companies of Manipur.
  • The Chief Minister exhorted the youths of Manipur to develop the entrepreneurial spirit so that they can provide employment to others, instead of looking for government jobs.
  • He said that the present Government is ready to extend all possible support to young entrepreneurs and self-employed youths through the StartUp Manipur and StandUp Manipur programmes.
Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 referred to Joint Parliamentary Committee
  • The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, which was introduced in Lok Sabha has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) of both the Houses.
  • The JPC has been constituted under the chairmanship of New Delhi MP MeenakashiLekhi for examination and report.
  • The memoranda submitted to the committee would form part of the records of the committee and would be treated as “confidential and would enjoy the privilege of the committee”.
  • The draft Bill empowers the government to ask companies including Facebook, Google and others for anonymised personal data and non-personal data.

FACTFILE – Personal Data Protection Bill 2019

  • The Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 (PDP Bill 2019) was tabled in the Indian Parliament by the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology on 11 December 2019.
  • The Bill covers mechanisms for protection of personal data and proposes the setting up of a Data Protection Authority of India for the same.
  • Some key provisions the 2019 Bill provides for which the 2018 draft Bill did not such as that the central government can exempt any government agency from the Bill and the Right to Be Forgotten has been included.
Subhash Chandra Bose AapdaPrabandhan Puraskar-2020 for DMMC & IPS officer Kumar Munnan Singh
  • IPS officer Kumar Munnan Singh, who earned accolades for his rescue work during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster, and the Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre (DMMC) in Uttarakhand have been selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose AapdaPrabandhan Puraskar-2020.
  • Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Singh and DMMC have been selected in the individual and institution category, respectively, for commendable work in the disaster management field.
  • A certificate and Rs 51 lakh in cash is given to the winning institution, which has to be used for disaster management-related activities only. In case of individual winners, a certificate and Rs 5 lakh is given.
  • IPS officer Singh was appointed founder-member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in 2005 following his commendable work during the 2004 tsunami.
  • The DMMC, which discharges the functions of State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)under the government of Uttarakhand since its establishment in 2006, has coordinated various post-disaster functions relating to coordination, requisition, information exchange and media briefing, including those after the 2010, 2012 and 2013 major disaster incidents.
India scored 41 in Corruption Perception Index, same as in 2018
  • India’s level of corruption remained the same in 2019 against the previous year, as per the latest survey conducted by Transparency International, an independent organization that determines the corruption perception index globally.
  • India scored 41, the same as in 2018, on the corruption perception index where 100 is considered very clean and 0 is highly corrupt.
  • The survey studied 180 countries in the world by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, drawing on 13 expert assessments and surveys of business executives.
  • Globally, Denmark stood at number one, with a score of 87, followed by New Zealand (87), Finland (86), Singapore (85), Sweden (85), Switzerland (85), Norway (84), Netherlands (82), Germany (80), Luxembourg (80).
  • Many developed countries including Canada, France, the United Kingdom and Denmark have scored less in 2019 compared to the previous year.
  • Many countries also dropped in ranks even as their score remained the same. India’s rank dropped by two places in 2019.

 

JANUARY 25, 2020

 Assam Sahitya Sabha awards for the year 2018-20 announced
  • The AsamSahitya Sabha has announced a host of awards for the year 2018-20 to be given during the upcoming session of the apex literary body to be held at Sualkuchi.
  • It includes Asom Kesri Ambikagiri Raichoudhury Award that will conferred on poet Anubhav Tulsi and writer Dr Apurba Kumar Saikia.
  • Poet Dr Prayag Saikia and writer Nilotpal Baruah have been chosen for the Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha Award.
  • Basista Deb Phukan, Tapan Kumar Bora and MonoranjanBori have been chosen for Yuba Sangbadik Award.
CEC Arora takes over as new chairman of Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia
  • Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora took over as the new Chair of the Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA) for the year 2020 at the annual meeting of the poll management bodies of Saarc countries.
  • Arora took over from outgoing Chair K.M. Nurul Huda of Bangladesh during the 10th meeting of FEMBoSA. The CEC Bangladesh presented the Stewardship Report on the activities of FEMBoSA members during the last year.
  • After taking the logo of FEMBoSA from the outgoing chief, Arora said: “The democratic scaffold and superstructure can be enacted and strengthened on the principle that the political power is validated by the will of the people.”
  • The Election Commission also signed an agreement with the Independent National Electoral Commission of Afghanistan for cooperation in the field of election management on the sidelines of the international conference on ””Strengthening Institutional Capacity””.
  • The poll panel also signed an MoU with Independent Authority for Election in Tunisia for cooperation in the field of election management.

FACTFILE – Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA)

  • FEMBoSA was established at the 3rd Conference of Heads of Election Management Bodies of Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries in 2012.
  • Besides the ECI, the other 7 members are EMBs from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

 

O.P. Jindal Global University signs MoU with University of Zurich at WEF
  • India’s O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University of Zurich (UZH), Switzerland for mutual cooperation in higher education and research.
  • The MoU was signed at the World Economic Forum in Davos in which JGU Vice Chancellor C. Raj Kumar and the President of the UZH, Michael Hengartner, were invited to speak on the future of global universities for promoting sustainable futures.
  • The University of Zurich is the largest and one of the oldest universities in Switzerland with excellence in teaching and research.
  • Located at Sonipat, Haryana, JGU is a multidisciplinary and research oriented university, which made it to the QS World University Rankings 2020 as the youngest university in India and in the world to be featured in the world rankings.
  • JGU is also the only Indian private university in the top 150 ”young” universities in the world (under 50 years of age) in the QS Young University Rankings 2020.
Kerala CM to launch Super Fab Lab
  • Kerala Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan will inaugurate a Super Fab Lab, an incubation centre and a Mini Fab Lab at Palakkad.
  • The Super Fab Lab is based in Kochi and has been built in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
  • It is billed as the world”s first such facility to function outside of the US and has been set up at the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) complex in Kalamassery.
  • It is expected to allow researchers, innovators and developers to do things beyond the purview of the state”s existing fab labs.
  • Currently, a standard community fab lab includes a laser-cutter, a sign-cutter, a high-resolution NC milling machine, a large wood-router and a suite of electronic components as well as programming tools for low-cost, high-speed microcontrollers for on-site rapid circuit prototyping.
  • To this, the super lab adds a set of highly-specialised machines that can do small to mid-volume manufacturing and can also be used for prototyping with a variety of materials including metals, composites and carbon fibres, besides testing, design and fabrication equipment and materials that cover length scales spanning from microns to meters in fabrication size.

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JANUARY 26, 2020

15 from Northeast get Padma awards
  • Altogether 15 distinguished personalities from the Northeast have been named for the coveted Padma awards on the eve of Republic Day 2020.
  • Internationally acclaimed boxer MC Mary Kom from Manipur will be conferred the country’s second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan, while former Nagaland Chief Minister SC Jamir, who has also served as Governor of a number of states, including Odisha and Goa, has been named for Padma Bhushan.
  • Five personalities from Assam have been conferred the Padma Shri award. They are celebrated danseuse Indira PP Bora, writer educationist Lil Bahadur Chettri, veterinarian Dr Kushal Konwar Sarma, who is an expert in elephant treatment, scholar Jogendra Nath Phukan and physician Dr Ravi Kannan R.
  • Litterateur Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi of Arunachal Pradesh, who writes in Assamese, was also named for Padma Shri award.
  • The others from the Northeast who have won Padma Shri awards are footballer Oinam Bembem Devi (Manipur), social worker Sathyanarayan Mundayoor (Arunachal Pradesh), archer Tarundeep Rai (Sikkim), journalist Pu Lalbiakthanga Pachuau and social worker and freedom fighter C Kamlova (both from Mizoram), and writer Benichandra Jamatia (Tripura).
Kerala CM Vijayan inaugurates world’s first Super Fab Lab
  • Kerala Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan used a remote-controlled device to open a Super Fab Lab based in Kochi that was set up in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
  • It is billed as the world”s first such facility to function outside of the US and has been set up at the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) complex in Kalamassery near Kochi.
  • Along with the Super Fab Lab, he also inaugurated an incubation centre and a Mini Fab Lab at a function held at the Government Polytechnic College.
  • He said the new fab labs will enable the users to enter the next stage of scientific creativity.
  • The Mini Fab Lab and the Startup Incubator in Palakkad will be of use to NRI investors who return to the state with the technical expertise and experience they gained abroad.
  • The KSUM Super Fab Lab at Kochi has state-of-the-art machines worth more than Rs 7 crore in an area of 10,000 square feet.
India, Brazil sign pacts to boost strategic partnership
  • In a major boost to their strategic partnership, Brazil and India laid down a comprehensive action plan to enhance their cooperation in all areas, amid an economic slowdown.
  • The two governments signed agreements and memoranda of understanding for cooperation in bioenergy, oil, natural gas, investments, legal assistance in criminal matters, early childhood related issues, health and medicine, traditional systems of medicine and homeopathy, cultural exchange, social security, cyber security, science and technology, geology and mineral resources, animal husbandry and dairy, cattle genomics.
  • The bilateral trade between the two countries was $8.2 billion in 2018-19.
  • Brazil and India are members of several multilateral fora like BRICS, IBSA, G-20 and G-4 and both the countries aspire to have a permanent seat at the UN Security Council.

 

JANUARY 27, 2020

Oil India (OIL) may hold 74% in BPCL’s NRL, Assam 26%
  • Oil and gas explorer PSU Oil India (OIL) and the Assam Govt may acquire Bharat Petroleum Corporation’s entire 61 per cent stake in the Numaligarh Refinery (NRL), retaining the public sector character of the Assam-based entity.
  • OIL may pick up close to 48 per cent stake, Assam has indicated to pick up the rest to raise its stake to 26 per cent from 12.4 per cent.
  • Assam Commerce and Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary recently stated the state government’s willingness to pay up to Rs 2,000 crore to pick 13.6 per cent of BPCL stake in the refinery.
  • BPCL’s stake in OIL may be worth over Rs 8,000 crore, including control premium. With the Centre owning over 50 per cent in BPCL, the stake sale in the NRL will help it pocket around Rs 4,000 crore as disinvestment receipt.
  • Currently, BPCL holds 61.65 per cent stake in the NRL, OIL 26 per cent and the Assam government 12.35 per cent.
  • Privatisation of BPCL has become a concern in the Northeast with demand being raised not to disturb the refinery’s PSU character. NRL was set up as per the 1985 Assam accord.
  • NRL recorded the highest revenue at Rs 18,511 crore in 2018-19, registering a 16.25 per cent growth. Its earnings per share stood at Rs 27.79 while net worth reached Rs 5,551 crore.
Andhra Assembly passes resolution for abolishing Legislative Council
  • The Andhra Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to abolish the state Legislative Council as the government moved to do away with the upper house of the state legislature, considered as roadblock to pass vital Bills.
  • Speaker T. Seetharam announced that the statutory resolution has been adopted with 133 members voting in favour of it. There were no votes against it or abstentions.
  • The result meet both the conditions laid down in the Constitution’s Article 161 (1). According to the Article, resolution for abolishing the Council has to be passed by a majority in the Assembly and by not less two-third of the members present in the House.
  • The resolution will be sent to the Union Home Ministry for drafting a Bill, which will be tabled in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
  • The Bill will have to be cleared by both Houses of Parliament before it can be sent to the President for his assent and issuing the notification.
CISF gets ‘best marching contingent’ award at Republic Day 2020 parade
  • The CISF was adjudged the “best marching contingent” amongst paramilitary and other auxiliary contingents during Republic Day parade, 2020 at Rajpath.
  • This is sixth time that Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) contingent won the “best marching contingent” trophy at Republic Day parade, the earlier occasions being in 2007, 2008, 2013, 2015 and 2017.
  • The CISF contingent this year comprised 148 officers and personnel, including 3 lady sub-officers, and was led by Deputy Commandant PrabhSimran Singh.

 

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JANUARY 28, 2020

Govt signs landmark tripartite Peace Pact with Bodos
  • The Union government entered into a peace agreement with representatives of Bodo organisations. The move comes following the government”s attempts to put an end to the Bodo insurgency demanding a separate state carved out of Assam.
  • The tripartite agreement was signed by representatives of the Union government, Assam government and representatives of banned Bodo organisation – National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). The All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) is also a signatory to the peace accord.
  • The peace accord signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, provides for the economic and political development of Bodos without affecting the territorial integrity of Assam.
  • As per the peace plan, 1,550 cadres along with 130 weapons will surrender on January 30. Shah assured the Bodo representatives that all the promises made in the peace agreement will be fulfilled in a time-bound manner.
  • This peace accord is the third Bodo peace agreement to be signed since 1993. The demand for a separate Bodoland is almost five decades old.
Lt Gen Satinder Kumar Saini Saini to take charge as Army Vice-Chief
  • Lt Gen Satinder Kumar Saini will take charge as vice chief of Indian Army, Lt Gen Saini, who was the Southern Command chief so far.
  • An alumnus of Sainik School, Kapurthala and the National Defence Academy (NDA), Lt Gen Saini was commissioned into the Jat Regiment in June 1981.
  • He commanded his battalion (7 Jat), a mountain brigade, a counter insurgency force in Jammu and Kashmir, a corps in the western theatre and then the Southern Army Command.
  • As Southern Command chief, he steered transformation of its operational philosophy to overwhelm the emerging threats and validation of many new concepts during training exercises.
  • He has also been weapons instructor in the National Security Guards (NSG) Training Centre, a senior directing staff at the National Defence College, New Delhi and the Commandant of the Indian Military Academy.
  • Lt Gen Saini had also served as the Deputy Chief Military Personnel Officer in UN Mission in Iraq-Kuwait, attended an exercise on peacekeeping conducted by the Global Peace Operations initiative in Mongolia and a counter-terrorism exercise in Australia.
DSCI &TikTok launch quiz to spread awareness on online privacy
  • Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and Chinese short-video making app TikTok have come together to launch an interactive and informative quiz for its community online.
  • It also aims to appraise users on best practices for online privacy and protection.
  • In line with the theme of the 2020 edition of Data Privacy Day – ‘Privacy is Everyone’s Responsibility’, the in-app quiz asks users interesting questions pertaining to their awareness of online privacy and its importance.
  • With the rising data consumption and increase in time spent online, it is important that the users are aware of privacy practices and principles that are key to adhere to.

 

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