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Current Affairs Assam – July 22 - 28, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of July 22 – 28, 2019 )

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July 22, 2019

  Tripura set to scale up white tea production

• The successful completion of pilot projects on white tea has paved the way for planters in Tripura to go for full-scale production of the ‘costly and delicate’ variety.
• Earlier this year, the 95-year-old Golokpur tea estate in Unakoti district of the State set a record when it sold its white tea for Rs 10,000 a kg to a Banglore-based retailer.
• White tea is minimally processed. It is harvested even before the plant leaves unfurl fully with the buds still covered by fine white hairs, hence, the name white tea.
• Besides fetching good money, white tea will also earn the tea estate a good name, as people in the industry know that the production process is difficult. We have been getting more orders for this special variety, De said.
• Fatikcherra, another 101-year old tea estate in the hill State, has produced 6.8 kg white tea this year, which fetched Rs 5,500 per kg.
• Around one quintal of white tea has been produced in the State this year. Tripura annually produces nine million kg of tea in 58 gardens.
• The agro-climatic condition is favourable for tea production in Tripura. Now we have got a logo approved for Tripura tea, and even convinced the tribal villagers to grow wild tea near the Tripura-Mizoram boundary.
• The Tea Board of India is now trying to convince planters to turn to organic brew, besides encouraging white tea production, he said.
• Tripura has always had a problem of auctioning tea as there is no auction centre in the State. The Bangladesh Government has, however, agreed to allow planters from Tripura to auction their produce at Sreemangal subdivision of Moulavibazar district, which is near the Tripura border.

 Russia launches manned spacecraft to space station

• Russia’s Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft carrying three astronauts successfully took off for the International Space Station (ISS) and entered the planned orbit.
• Soyuz MS-13, carrying Roscosmos astronaut Alexander Skvortsov (commander), Luca Parmitano (flight engineer-1) from Italy and Andrew Morgan (flight engineer-2) of the US, will automatically approach the ISS and dock to it.
• The new expedition will join Roscosmos astronaut Alexei Ovchinin, and NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Christina Koch on the ISS.
• The space launch was conducted on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing of the US Apollo 11 spacecraft.

 Rajasthan government launches ‘police training’ programme for school students

• The Rajasthan government has formally launched a training programme for school students, in line with the National Cadet Corps practice, which aims to curb rising adolescent delinquency and make them aware of basic laws and legal procedures.
• The training programme initiated jointly by the state education and police departments will be available in selected government schools in the current academic session.
• The two-year programme for students of classes 8 and 9 aims to curb rising adolescent delinquency, strengthen the teenagers mentally and physically, and make them aware of basic laws and legal procedures.
• On the guidelines of the central government, the SPC training programme has been launched in 930 state government schools and 70 KendriyaVidyalayas.
• As many as 15 modules covering all aspects of public and personal life, including personality development, physical and mental growth and social responsibility, have been developed for the SPC training which would be imparted at three levels that include indoor classes, outdoor activities and visits to relevant places and offices.

July 23, 2019

 Tiger number in Assam goes up to 190

• Assam now has 190 tigers, marking an increase from 167 recorded in the 2014 Tiger Census. The country’s total tiger population is 2,967 tigers and the growth in the fourth cycle of the Tiger Census has seen a 33 per cent increase.
• Nine years ago it was decided in St. Petersburg that target of doubling tiger population will be 2022. India completed this target four year early, as per the ‘All India Tiger Estimation Report 2018’.
• As per the later tiger census, Madhya Pradesh saw the highest number of tigers at 526, closely followed by Karnataka at 524 and Uttarakhand at number three with 442 tigers.
• While Assam witnessed an increase in tiger population, Nameri Tiger Reserve saw a declining trend. Chhattisgarh and Mizoram saw a decline in their tiger numbers while tiger numbers in Odisha remained constant. Loss in North East is due to poor sampling, the Report said, adding that all other states witnessed a positive trend.
• The Tiger Census 2014 pegged the total number of big cats in the country at 2226 while the 2010 census put the figure at 1706 and the 2006 version at 1411, indicating that tiger numbers have been increasing continuously.

 India successfully launches Chandrayaan-2

• India successfully launched its second moon mission Chandrayaan-2 from its most powerful rocket with a plan to land the rover on September 7 in the unexplored lunar south pole.
• The most complex and prestigious mission ever undertaken by the Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO), if successful, will also make India the fourth country after Russia, the US and China to pull off a soft landing on the moon.
• The Rs 978-crore unmanned mission also brought woman power to the fore as it was helmed by two woman scientists of the ISRO–RituKaridhal and M Vanitha, the Mission and Project directors respectively.
• Joined by President Ram NathKovind and leaders across the political spectrum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the scientists.
• The ISRO is aiming for a soft landing of the lander in the South Pole region of the moon where no country has gone so far.
• Immediately after Chandrayaan-2’s separation from the rocket, the solar array of the spacecraft automatically got deployed and the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network at Bengaluru successfully took control of the spacecraft.
• Chandrayaan-2 comes 11 years after ISRO’s successful first lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 which scripted history by making more than 3,400 orbits around the Moon and was operational for 312 days till August 29, 2009.

 IIT Kharagpur students develop AI App for elderly care

• Students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur have developed two interconnected android smartphone applications.
• The app named ‘CARE4U’, developed by an interdisciplinry team of 2nd year B.Tech students, connects the caregiver to the elderly.
• While one of these apps can be installed on the phones of the elderly, the other can be attached to the smartphone of the caregiver.
• The neural network-based fall detection algorithm in the app installed on the phone of the elderly can detect whether the elderly has fallen down.
• If there is a fall, it automatically calls the caregiver and emergency services with the location of the elderly person.
• The other features include detecting emotion by taking a picture and calculating the mood index.
• To make this feature more effective the team has developed a cognitive intelligent chatbot for the elderly person to engage with.
• Moreover, the app can also do other activities like make a call, send a text, book a cab and so on. It also has a record of medical histories, an account of allergies, an SOS button, real-time location tracking, among others.
• The ‘CARE4U’ app includes a ‘Medicine Reminder’ feature to remind both the elderly person as well as the caregiver that it is time for the former to take medicine.

 The National Medical Commission Bill, 2019 Introduced in Lok Sabha

• Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan introduced The National Medical Commission Bill, 2019, to provide for a medical education system that also encourages community health perspective and makes services of medical professionals accessible to all citizens.
• The Bill seeks to replace the Medical Council of India and usher in major changes in medical education sector as well as promote national health goals that encourage medical professionals to adopt latest medical research in their work and to contribute to research.
• The Bill that seeks to improve access to quality and affordable medical education and ensures availability of adequate and high quality medical professionals all over the country to promote equitable and universal healthcare.

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July 24, 2019

 Assam relaxes restrictions on Agar tree cultivation

• The Assam government has relaxed the restrictions on cultivation of the scented Agar tree. The Cabinet approved growing and cutting of Agar and Chandan trees on non-forest lands.
• The Cabinet also approved setting up of an International Trade Centre for Agar in Golaghat.
• The plantation of Agar tree is seen in Assam’s Sibsagar, Sadiya, Nagaon, Darrang, Goalpara and Cachar districts of Assam.
• Apart from Assam, the tree is also grown in Khasi Hills and Garo Hills districts of Meghalaya and also found in the forests of Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh.
• As Agar wood was classified under the wood based industries, cutting of Agar tree was not allowed and there was requirement of registration for sending the same outside.
• At present the Hojai district in Assam is the hub of distilling the agar oil.

 Assam Govt’s important Cabinet decisions

• Procurement and distribution of free sugar to the tea garden beneficiaries under ANNA Scheme at 2 kg per family per month.
• Through the Assam Municipal Amendment Act, educational qualifications has been set for Ward Commissioners – Class 12 pass for general category candidates, Class 10 for SC/ST/OBC category.
• An international trade centre for Agar Tree will be set up at Golaghat.
• 3-year exemption on levy of cess on green leaves for big tea gardens.
• New syllabus for APSC examination in line with UPSC exam.
• Reservation of 80 per cent in managerial and supervisory and 90 per cent in non-managerial cadre in State PSUs and industries availing benefits from State Government.
• Under the New Assam State Industrial Policy, 2019, power subsidy at Rs 2 per unit will be given for a period of 5 years subject to a maximum of Rs 50 lakh per annum.
• 50,000 subsidy to the higher education loans.
• The number of wards in Guwahati Municipal Corporation has been increased to 60.
• The honorarium for GP Member has been hiked from Rs. 1500 to Rs 2000, AP Member from Rs. 2500 to Rs. 3000 and ZP Member from 3500 to Rs. 4000.
• The New Film Policy approved under which Rs. 25 lakh subsidy will be given for films whose production cost is Rs. 1 crore. Films honoured with National Award will get Rs 1 crore and those nominated for Oscar Rs 2 crore. Moreover, a corpus fund will be created collecting Rs. 1 from each ticket sold for the welfare of artistes.

 UN calls nations to join clean air initiative

• The United Nations, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN Environment and Climate and Clean Air Coalition announced the clean air initiative and urged governments participation.
• The announcement was made by Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Climate Action Summit.
• The climate and the air pollution crisis are driven by the same factors and must be tackled by joint actions.
• The governments at all levels have both an urgent need and huge opportunity not only to address the climate crisis, but also to improve the health and save the lives of millions of people around the world, all while making progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• The clean air initiative calls on national and sub-national governments to commit to achieving air quality that is safe for citizens, and to align climate change and air pollution policies by 2030.
• According to the World Bank, air pollution costs the global economy around $5.11 trillion in welfare losses.
• Meeting the Paris Agreement on climate change, however, could save over 1 million lives a year by 2050 and yield health benefits worth $54.1 trillion, twice the costs of mitigation, through reduced air pollution alone.
• Governments at all levels can join the initiative by committing to specific actions, including implementing air quality and climate change policies that will achieve the WHO ambient air quality guideline values.
• The initiative comprises implementing e-mobility and sustainable mobility policies and actions with the aim of making a decisive impact on road transport emissions.

 Lok Sabha passes Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill

• The Lok Sabha passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which seeks to transform Indian roads with adequate safety measures to reduce road accidents, imposing stiffer penalties for violations and weeding out corruption.
• As part of the initiative, the Centre will develop a system for cashless treatment of road accident victims in the so-called golden hour—the period up to an hour after a traumatic injury, during which there is highest likelihood of preventing death by providing medical care.
• The bill also seeks to protect good Samaritans, ensuring that people who come forward to help accident victims will not be harassed by the law.
• The proposed law has suggested higher penalty for offences such as driving without a licence, speeding, dangerous driving, drunk driving and for vehicles plying without a permit.
• There will be strict provisions and suspension of licence for dangerous driving and driving without seat-belts.
• The bill proposes a fine of as much as ₹10,000 for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, up from the existing ₹2,000.
• Besides, the Govt will have the power to increase the penalty by 10% every year.
• Under the bill, the Centre can tell an automobile manufacturer to recall motor vehicles in case of defects that cause damage to the environment.
• The bill caps the maximum liability for third-party insurance in case of an accident at ₹5 lakh, compared with ₹50,000 now.
• There will also be an eight-time increase in compensation in case of hit-and-runs.

 Bills to overhaul labour laws, boost jobs moved in Lok Sabha

• Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar, introduced The Code on Wages, 2019, and The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2019.
• The Code on Wages seeks to consolidate the laws relating to wages, bonus and connected matters.
• The Bill will replace 44 archaic labour laws and aims to set standards of minimum wages across industry, including small businesses, which employ nearly 90 per cent of India”s work force.
• It will repeal four existing laws, including one on wage payments passed in 1936 and one on minimum wages dating to 1948.
• The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code seeks to consolidate and amend the laws regulating the occupational safety, health and working conditions of the persons employed in an establishment.
• It proposes a single-registration, single-licence regime for companies, instead of multiple permissions under 13 labour laws and allows women to work night shifts.

July 25, 2019

 Rail link to Gangtok from all NE State capitals by 2022

• The Railways is set to link Sikkim’s capital, Gangtok, to capitals of all North Eastern States by March 2022. With this linkage, all the seven North Eastern State capitals will be connected to the national railway network, the Railways official added.
• The capitals of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura have already been connected by a broad gauge rail network.
• Work on new broad gauge lines has been taken up to connect the other State capitals – Shillong (Meghalaya), Imphal (Manipur), Kohima (Nagaland), Aizawl (Mizoram) – which is expected to be completed by 2020.
• In Sikkim, the project has been riddled with land acquisition issues. The project of laying a broad gauge line from Sivok to Rangpo of length 45 km was sanctioned in 2008-09. However, the project has been in limbo since then with just 19 per cent of the work being completed so far, officials said.
• Among the most significant of the ongoing projects is the 111-km Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal line, 64 per cent of which has been completed so far will not only put the Manipur capital on the railway map in the next couple of years but also prepare grounds for taking the railways to Moreh on the Myanmar border and beyond to become part of the proposed Trans-Asian Railway.
• A 10-km section from Jiribam-Vaingaichungpao has already been completed.
• In Aizawl, 58.43 per cent of the 51.38-km Bhairabi-Sairang line has been completed, while in Kohima, the Railways has made a progress of 25.23 per cent in the 82.5-km Dimapur-Zubza line.
• In Shillong, the 21.50-km Tetelia-Byrnihat line has seen a 40 per cent progress, while a 10-km section from Tetelia-Kamlajari has been completed. Another line in the State, the 108.40-km Byrnihat-Shillong line has only seen progress of around 5 per cent.

 IIT scientists devise robotic hand for Paralytics

• The scientists at the IIT-Kanpur have ventured into the world’s first robot hand for the rehabilitation of stroke patients.
• The device is a two-finger robotic hand (exoskeleton) that uses a four-bar mechanism and has four degrees of freedom (DOF).
• Professor Ashish Dutta and Professors K S Venkatesh have achieved this feat.
• The exoskeleton can be used by a patient on the hand.
• It uses brain signals, with the help of the brain computer interface (BCI) that is worn on the head, and helps paralysed patients to open and close the movement of their thumb, forefinger and middle fingers for physical practice.
• The exoskeleton is operated by an MEGA microcontroller of 300 Mhz and powered by a battery.
• The device has sensors that control the pressure of the fingertip applied by the patient.
• If the patient can close or move the finger, the device follows the movement passively.
• If it does not, then the device actively forces the finger to close, while taking BCI instructions using signals.

 HAL delivers Chetak helicopter to Indian Navy

• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) delivered a Chetak helicopter to the Indian Navy. The documents were handed over by S Anbuvelan, General Manager of Helicopter Division-HAL to Commodore Vikram Menon, VSM, CSO(Air), HQNA at an event.
• HAL entered into a contract with the Indian Navy in August of 2017 for the supply of eight Chetak helicopters with the delivery schedule of the first two in August of 2019 and the rest in August of 2020.
• These helicopters are fitted with the latest communication and navigation systems developed by HAL and the company is committed to providing continuous support to the Chetak fleet.
• These helicopters are used by the Navy for communication duties (passenger transport), cargo/ material transport, casualty evacuation, search and rescue, areal survey and patrolling, emergency medical services, electronic news gathering, anti hijacking, offshore operation and under-slung operation.
• HAL has so far produced more than 350 Chetak helicopters and delivered around 80 to the Indian Navy. Presently, 51 helicopters are flying with the Navy and the serviceability has always remained high.

 RS passes Bill including death penalty for child abuse

• Rajya Sabha passed the bill for amending the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
• The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was moved by Union Women and Child Development Minister SmritiIrani.
• The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019 provides for stringent punishment including life imprisonment for using children for pornographic purposes.
• The new law is expected to discourage the trend of child sexual abuse by acting as a deterrent due to the strong penal provisions in it.
• It intends to protect the interests of vulnerable children in times of distress and ensure their safety and dignity.

 The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019

• The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019, which would replace the ordinance on the same, seeks to tackle the menace of illicit deposit-taking, being done by exploiting regulatory gaps and due to lack of strict administrative measures.
• A Bill to protect depositors from Ponzi schemes and put in place a mechanism by which the investors can be compensated was passed by the Lok Sabha.
• The Bill also provides for 1-10 years punishment and Rs 2 lakh to Rs 50 crore fines to deter any such act.
• The Bill ensures that no hardship is caused to genuine businesses, or to individuals borrowing money from their relatives or friends for personal reasons or to tide over a crisis.
• It contains a clause, which bans deposit-takers from promoting, operating, issuing advertisements or accepting deposits in any unregulated deposit scheme.
• The Bill also proposes to create three different types of offences — running of unregulated deposit schemes, fraudulent default in regulated deposit schemes, and wrongful inducement in relation to unregulated deposit schemes.
• The proposed law also provides for attachment of properties or assets and subsequent realisation of assets for repayment to depositors.
• It will enable creation of an online central database for collection and sharing of information on deposit-taking activities.
• The Bill also aims to prevent such unregulated deposit schemes or arrangements at their inception.

 Andhra Pradesh passes law to reserve 75% jobs for locals

• The Andhra Pradesh government has made it mandatory for existing and upcoming industries in the state to reserve 75 per cent jobs for locals.
• This hass been done through the passage of a new law called the Andhra Pradesh Employment of Local candidates in the Industries/Factories Bill, 2019.
• Passed by the state legislative assembly the bill asks existing industries to ensure 75 per cent employment to the local candidates within three years from the date of commencement of this Act.
• In case there are no qualified/suitable candidates available, the employers will have to train and engage local candidates within three years in close collaboration with government agencies, according to the bill.

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July 26, 2019

 Proposal for a new greenfield airport at Silchar, NE airports to get major face-lift

• The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has received a proposal to develop a new greenfield airport at Silchar. The response from the Minister came in reply to an unstarred question (no. 5361) on whether there is any proposal to build new or develop existing airports in Assam and other states in North East raised by Guwahati MP Queen Ojha on July 25.
• The Minister mentioned that for the Silchar airport, the AAI has requested the State Government to share the land details for conducting the pre-feasibility study.
• Referring to the question on the development of existing airports across North East, the minister informed that the AAI has started work to build new terminal building at the LGBI Airport at Guwahati and also at the Imphal airport, re-carpetting of runway at Leelabari airport, extension of runway and other important allied works at Dibrugarh and Barapani airports, strengthening of runway at the Dimapur airport, construction of hangar and cargo building at Agartala airport and other development work at Rupsi and Teju airports.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation has also granted ‘in principle’ approval for setting up of a new greenfield airport at Hollongi in Arunachal Pradesh for which steps for bidding documents are in process.

 Clean Green Arunachal campaign launched

• The Aalo Forest Division has launched the Clean Green Arunachal Campaign and Vanmahotsav, 2019, under the theme, ‘Plant more trees, make environment pollution free’. As many as 4,900 saplings were planted at various locations on the occasion.
• Plastic-free zone: The Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Aalo has been declared a plastic and tobacco-free zone under the Swachhata Challenge. Officers and other staff have been given clear instructions not to bring plastic items like water bottles and single-use plastic items and tobacco products within the premises of the office building.
• Regular water supply will be provided by the PHED, Aalo, and an alternative site for dumping of office waste is being identified. Disciplinary action will be taken against the office staff violating the decision under the Arunachal Pradesh Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1997.

 IIT Kanpur inks pact with Ericsson to deploy NB-IoT to monitor Delhi’s air pollution

• Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) entered into a partnership with Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson to deploy Narrow-band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) to monitor air pollution in Delhi.
• With support from Ericsson, IIT will develop and deploy India”s first NB-IoT based low cost particulate matter sensors at multiple locations across Delhi.
• As part of the memorandum of understanding (MoU), Ericsson will use locally developed air quality sensors that are capable of sharing environmental data including PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 levels at defined time intervals.
• This will lead to better monitoring and analysis of data collected from different parts of the capital.
• The findings will be shared with local authorities and other key stakeholders on a periodic basis.
• The sensors are automated and will relay information on defined time intervals, providing data on pollution levels, sources and locations in a sustainable and cost-efficient way.

 Whatsapp teams up with NITI Aayog to promote women entrepreneurs

• India’s Niti Aayog entered into a partnership with Facebook-owned WhatsApp to support the growth of a robust ecosystem to promote women entrepreneurs in India.
• Under this partnership, WhatsApp, in collaboration with NITI Aayog, will announce an annual calendar of events aimed at capacity building of the women entrepreneurs and evolve specific programmes aimed at addressing challenges being faced by women entrepreneurs.
• WhatsApp will also provide support amounting to $100,000 for the winners of NITI Aayog’s Women Transforming India (WTI) Awards 2019.

July 27, 2019

 NE police forces join hands to fight human trafficking

• With human trafficking becoming a major cause of concern for Assam and other states of the Northeast, the police forces of the region have decided to improve coordination with real time input sharing to deal with the menace.
• The heads of the police forces of the northeastern states have also stressed the need for a detailed research on the issue by a reputed organisation.
• At least 380 cases of human trafficking were reported in Assam only in the last five years and the actual number can even be higher as in some cases, the families of the affected girls do not come forward to report such incidents to police. As per records of the Assam Police, 82 trafficking cases were reported in 2014, 73 in 2015, 75 in 2016, 79 in 2017 and 70 cases were reported last year.
• The Assam Police has already created an anti-human trafficking cell in the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and efforts would be made to make the cell more active.
• Most of the girls trafficked from Assam end up in states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, and they are often lured with job offers.

 NGT nod for Delhi Government’s water conservation project

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) gave its nod to Delhi Government’s water conservation project on Yamuna floodplains.
• The project aims to conserve water on floodplains and build mega reservoir between Pall and Wazirabad to meet water demand.
• Under the project, small ponds will be created to catch water from an overflowing Yamuna during this monsoon season.

 Cabinet approves merger of National Institute of Miners’ Health with ICMR-National Institute of Occupational Health

• The Union Cabinet, has approved to dissolve National Institute of Miners’ Health (NIMH), an autonomous Institute under Ministry of Mines (MoM) and merge with ICMR-National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Ahmedabad.
• Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW) with all assets and liabilities; and absorb all the employees of NIMH in NIOH in the similar post/pay scale as the case may be and their pay be protected.
• NIMH, ICMR, NIOH, MoM and Department of Health Research (DHR), MoH&FW to take actions required for effecting dissolution and merger/amalgamation of NIMH with NIOH
• The merger of NIMH with NIOH will prove beneficial to both the Institutes in term of enhanced expertise in the field of occupational health besides the efficient management of public money.

 Cabinet approves creation of buffer stock of sugar

• The Cabinet has approved the creation of buffer stock of 40 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of sugar for one year and to incur estimated maximum expenditure of Rs.1674 crores for this purpose.
• However, based on the market price and availability of sugar, this may be reviewed by the Dept. of Food and Public Distribution any time for withdrawal / modification.
• The reimbursement under the scheme would be met on quarterly basis to sugar mills which would be directly credited into farmers’ account on behalf of mills against cane price dues and subsequent balance, if any, would be credited to the mill’s account.
• Creation of buffer stock of 30 LMT of sugar for one year from 1st July, 2018 to 30th June, 2019 was one of the various interventions which were made by the Government.

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July 28, 2019

 Assam Police to induct hi-tech Sillinger boats

• Assam Police is all set to induct a fleet of highly-sophisticated Sillinger boats that could be pressed into action for combat and non-combat operations, especially along the Indo-Bangla riverine border.
• Sillinger boats, which are used by armed forces across the world, would be deployed with trained operators. Assam shares the riverine border stretch of 110 kilometres with Bangladesh.
• As many as 70 Sillinger boats would be procured as part of its upgrading exercise in the first phase. Each boat will come with a payload capacity of 1,100 kilograms.
• Sillinger boats are inflatable and would allow fast movement for the armed forces on the riverine areas. Along with that, it could be deployed for a wide range of missions, including rescue and search operations.
• Once the boats are procured, a team of technicians would also be developed by the Assam Police.

 Assam Legislative Assembly inks pact with UNICEF

• The Assam Legislative Assembly signed a Letter of Understanding (LoU) with UNICEF Assam to work together on issues related to children in the State. The letter was signed by the Principal Secretary of State Assembly Mrigendra Kumar Deka and UNICEF Assam officer-in-charge Sweta Patnaik in the presence of Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami.
• 41 per cent of Assam’s population is children, which is almost the majority. The sustainable development goals which are related to women and children will be the purview for the Committee for the Welfare of Women and Children.
• Addressing the need for protecting the rights of children, starting with their right to survival, MLA Dr Numal Momin said Assam has made significant strides in improving under-five mortality rate and stunted growth, but a lot is needed to be done to improve quality and access to nutrition, sanitation, drinking water and health interventions, among others, especially in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.
• Assam loses 87 infants and 96 under-five children daily. About 36 per cent children in the State are malnourished, which could be due to several reasons such as mothers not receiving adequate diet during pregnancy and lactation in the first 1,000 days.

 CISCO partners with Google to launch free high-speed Wifi in India

• Global networking giant Cisco in partnership with Google announced to roll out free high-speed Wi-Fi access globally, starting with India.
• The first pilot under the partnership has been rolled out at 35 locations in Bengaluru.
• Cisco will work with Google”s “Station Platform” to provide communities around the country access to a free public Wi-Fi.
• It will run on https environment — the same environment in which we do online banking transactions.
• The service will be supported by advertisements.
• By September this year, 200 locations in Bengaluru will be Wi-Fi enabled, followed by another 300 by in the second phase.
• The locations include public spaces like bus stops, hospitals and government offices, etc.
• According to a TRAI report, globally, there is on Wi-Fi hotspot for every 150 people, and in India, eight million additional hotspots must be installed to achieve the same ratio — creating new market opportunities for infrastructure providers and internet service providers.
• India has only 52,000 Wi-Fi hotspots today, necessitating a proactive strategy to make high-speed Wi-Fi hotspots ubiquitous across the country.

 Delhi to get country’s most advanced & tallest ATC tower

• National capital’s IGI Airport will soon sport the country’s most technologically advanced and highest ATC tower, which is expected to enhance the safety and the efficiency of air transport management services over the city’s sky.
• The migration procedures have already commenced from the old ATC to the new tower and the process is expected to be completed before 15 August.
• At present, AAI which has been mandated to handle the air traffic management services at the airport is running a parallel operation to test the automation and other systems in the new facility.
• The commissioning of the new tower is expected to enhance the efficiency of air traffic management services at the IGIA which is the busiest airport in India.
• On an average, Delhi Air Traffic Control handles more than one flight operation every minute throughout the day.
• At least 1,200 landings and take-offs happen every day from Delhi airport along with overflying traffic of at least 250 planes.
• Besides, the new facility with its physical and technologically advanced equipment is expected to provide a more robust safety systems.

• At a height of 102 meters, the tower enables air traffic controllers to have better visibility of all the three runways, apron area and taxiways.

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Current Affairs Assam – July 29 - 31, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of July 29 – 31, 2019 )

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July 29, 2019

 7^th Economic Census begun from Tripura

• The 7th Economic census has begun from 29th July from Tripura. The census will be conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) in partnership with CSC e-governance Services India Ltd. (CSC SPV) after a gap of 5 years.
• The officials will collect the data through the door to door household survey under the provision of Collection of Statistics Act 2008.
• The economic census gives an idea about the economic activities being carried out across the country, types of ownership and source of finance, their geographical distribution, the number and distribution of workers etc.
• It covers all residential and commercial structures across the country but excludes some economic activities such as plantation activities, crop-production, extra-territorial organisation, illegal activities and public administration and defence.
• Shelter-less and nomadic population establishments and people living in open are also not covered in this census.

FACTFILE – Indian Economic Census

• Indian economic census is the census of the Indian economy through counting all entrepreneurial units in the country which involved in any economic activities of either agricultural or non-agricultural sector which engaged in production and/or distribution of goods and/or services not for the sole purpose of own consumption.
• The economic census provides detailed information on operational and other characteristics such as number of establishments, number of persons employed, source of finance, type of ownership etc.
• These informations are used for micro level/ decentralized planning and to assess contribution of various sectors of the economy in the gross domestic product (GDP).
• In 1976, Government of India launched a plan scheme called Economic Census and Surveys.
• In 1977 Central Statistical Organisation conducted First economic census in collaboration with the Directorate of Economics & Statistics (DES) in the States/Union Territories.

 Odisha ‘Rasagola’ bagged GI Tag

• Odisha bagged the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, for its ‘Rasagola’ with registering it with the name ‘Odisha Rasagola’ on 29th July 2019. The ‘Rasagola’ is a syrup confectionary made of cottage cheese.
• Odisha has been embroiled in a battle with West Bengal since 2015, which had secured the GI tag for ‘Banglar Rasogolla’ in 2017.
• In Odisha, the ‘Rasagola’ has been a part of century-old rituals performed for Lord Jagannath and is also mentioned in the ancient Odia literature.

FACTFILE – Geographical Indication (GI) tag

• A geographical indication (GI) is a sign/identity given to a product belonging to a specific geographical location (a region, town, state, country).
• India has enacted GI of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 from 15th September 2003.
• The GI tag ensured that only the authorised user is allowed to use the product name. Darjeeling tea was the first product to bag the GI tag in India in 2004-05.

 MoC signed for promotion of Chinese acupuncture in India                              

• The Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Dr D.N. Kotnis Health and Education Centre, Punjab, have signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) to enhance collaboration in education and research in acupuncture as well as other academic and cultural areas.
• The MoC was signed by Vice-President of Guizhou Acupuncture and Moxibustion Association Yang Xiaofang and Medical Superintendent of the Dr D.N. Kotnis Health and Education Centre Inderjeet Singh Dhingra.
• It would pave the way for setting up of an acupuncture institution in Ludhiana where degree courses would be offered.
• The MoC was signed on the sidelines of the international advanced workshop-cum-training of acupuncture in Ludhiana.
• The first of its kind workshop is being organised with the help of Chinese experts in collaboration with the “World Federation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Societies, Education (WFAS, Edu)”.
• The 10-day training workshop will cover neurological disorders, paralysis, facial paralysis, chronic pain syndromes, cosmetic problems, alopecia, nerve weakness, stress management and many new techniques, like ”catgut embedding therapy”.

July 30, 2019

 Meghalaya to hold National Conference on e-Governance                                             

• The 22^nd National Conference on e-Governance will be held here in Meghalaya on August 8 and 9, in a first for the north-eastern region to organise the knowledge sharing event.
• The theme of the conference is ‘Digital India: Success to Excellence’.
• It provides a platform to disseminate knowledge on effective methods of designing and implementing sustainable e-Governance initiatives to provide end-to-end digital services, exchange experiences in solving problems, mitigating risks, resolving issues and planning for success, P S Thangkhiew, the chief secretary of Meghalaya.
• The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), in association with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Meghalaya government will organise the 22nd National Conference.
• This is the first time the event is being organized in the north-eastern region of the country. The conference at Shillong is part of the DARPG’s 100 days initiatives.

 Bill for dam safety introduced in Lok Sabha

• The government introduced a Bill to set up a national authority as well as a committee for inspection and maintenance of dams across the country.
• The Bill seeks to set up the National Dam Safety Authority for proper surveillance, inspection and maintenance of specified dams as well as to address unresolved issues between states.
• Besides the authority, the government has proposed setting up a national committee on dam safety in order to prevent dam failure-related disasters.
• According to the Bill, the committee would maintain standards of dam safety and also evolve policies for ensuring safety of dams.

 Airtel builds digital network for UP government

• Telecom major Bharti Airtel has designed and implemented a “State Wide Area Network” (SWAN) for the Uttar Pradesh government as part of the Centre”s e-governance initiative.
• Deputy Chief Minster Dinesh Sharma launched the network “UPSWAN 2.0”
• UPSWAN 2.0 comprises of 885 Points of Presence (PoPs) across the state and is designed to provide secure, high-speed connectivity for delivery of government services to citizens over a ”closed user group” network”.
• This modern network infrastructure now digitally connects all state headquarters, district headquarters, block headquarters and tehsil headquarters across Uttar Pradesh. 

 100^th warship built by GRSE commissioned by Indian Navy

• A landing craft utility (LCU) – the 100th warship built by the Kolkata-headquartered Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers – was commissioned by the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam.
• The sixth of the eight Mark-IV LCUs was commissioned by Eastern Naval Command chief, Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain at a ceremony attended by GRSE Chairman and Managing Director, Rear Admiral V.K. Saxena (retd) and other senior officials of the Indian Navy.
• LCU are amphibious ships with the primary role being transportation and deployment of Main Battle Tanks, armoured vehicles, troops and equipment from ship to shore.
• They can be deployed for multirole activities like beaching operations, search and rescue, disaster relief operations, supply and replenishment and evacuation from distant islands.
• The LCU is 63 m in length and 11 m wide and has a displacement of 830 T with a low draught of 1.7 m.
• The LCU Mark IV class are fitted with close to 90 per cent indigenous content in line with the government”s ”Make in India” initiative.

July 31, 2019

 Manohari gold tea breaks record yet again

• Setting a new auction record in the country, a speciality tea made by a garden in Dibrugarh fetched Rs 50,000 for a kilogram under the hammer at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) here. This is the highest price any tea has fetched in any auction centre all over the world.
• The line of the delicate ‘gold special tea’ of Manohari Tea Estate located at Mohanbari went under the hammer at the pan-India auction this morning.
• Gold tea – the tea looks like pieces of gold – is made from the finest tea clones and is very delicate. This hand plucked tea is rich in aroma and is regarded as the world’s finest tea.
• Tea expert CK Parashar, under whose supervision it was made, said the tea was made from the P-126/A clone.
• Last year, a kilogram of the same tea was sold for Rs 39,001, a record which was soon broken by ‘golden needle’ variety from the Donyi Polo Tea Estate in Arunachal Pradesh which sold for Rs 40,000 a kilogram.

 Parliament passes Bill criminalising instant Triple Talaq

• The Central government in the Rajya Sabha passed the Triple Talaq Bill. The Bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha. With the approval of the Rajya Sabha, the Bill is all set to become an Act after the Presidential node.
• The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage), Bill, 2019 criminalises instant triple talaq among Muslims and attracts a jail term of three years for the husband.

 LS passes Bill to set up regulator for consumer complaints

• A Bill to establish a national level regulator – Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) – to deal with consumer complaints pro-actively was passed in the Lok Sabha.
• The Bill, which seeks to replace the Consumer Protection Act 1986, has 109 clauses to establish CCPA as a national level regulator.
• The Bill will clear the way for consumers to go to court if they were not satisfied.
• The Bill also has provisions to deal with class actions, product liability, misleading advertisements, liability for celebrity endorsements and others.
• It also addresses new age developments like e-commerce, direct selling and tele-marketing.
• The CCPA will deal with matters relating to violation of rights of consumers, unfair trade practice and false or misleading advertisements which are prejudicial to the interests of public and consumers. 

 CISCO to train 10 lakh Indian students in digital skills

• In line with the government”s efforts to train the youth in emerging technologies, networking giant Cisco committed to train 10 lakh students by 2025 by expanding its Networking Academy programme.
• The Networking Academy programme in India is one of its largest in the world. Across 583 academies nationwide, more than 350,000 Indian students have been trained since its inception so far.
• The Cloud-delivered skills-development programme helps students learn how to design, build, secure and maintain digital infrastructure.
• The curriculum include courses on IT essentials, networking, cybersecurity, programming and Internet of Things.
• Through the programme, schools, colleges, universities, vocational institutions, government and non-profit organisations are provided a Cisco-developed curriculum that can be integrated with the institution”s own educational offerings.
• Cisco also supports government education institutes in providing training on networking and cybersecurity skills aimed at improving the employability of engineering graduates.

July 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

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