Q1. Kameng Hydro Power Station has been recently inaugurated in which state?
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Assam
Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 600 MW Kameng Hydro Power Station in Arunachal Pradesh.
Q2. ‘Sangai Festival’ is a cultural festival celebrated in which state?
Mizoram
Arunachal Pradesh
Manipur
Assam
Manipur
Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy inaugurated the ‘Manipur Sangai Festival 2022’ at the Sangai Ethnic Park.
Q3. Who has become the first Indian table tennis player to win a medal at the Asian Cup Tennis Tournament?
Achanta Sharath Kamal
Sathiyan Gnanasekaran
Manika Batra
Sreeja Akula
Manika Batra
Indian Table Tennis Player Manika Batra defeated World No. 6 Hina Hayata of Japan in the Asian Cup 2022 women’s singles bronze medal match in Bangkok, Thailand.
Q4. The Union Minister of AYUSH has recently inaugurated the North East’s 1st Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine in which city
Shillong
Silchar
Agartala
Dimapur
Silchar
The Unani medicine institute in Silchar of Assam was inaugurated by Union Ayush minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Q5. The conservationist from Assam who has won the UN’s highest environmental award ‘Champions of the Earth’ for 2022?
Jadav Payeng
Vandana Shiva
Purnima Devi Barman
Krithi Karanth
Purnima Devi Barman
Assam’s leading conservationist Purnima Devi Barman has been awarded the United Nation’s highest environmental honour, ‘Champions of the Earth’, for 2022.
Q6. Who was honoured with the Indian Film Personality of the Year 2022 award at the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI)?
Chiranjeevi
Amitabh Bhachchan
Hema Malini
Mohanlal
Chiranjeevi
At the opening ceremony of the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi was honoured with the Indian Film Personality of the Year 2022 award.
Q7. India’s rank as per the ‘Network Readiness Index 2022 Report’ is
32
40
45
61
61
India has improved its position by six slots and is now placed at 61st rank as per the Network Readiness Index 2022 report.
Q8. ‘Constitution Day’ is observed on
November 26
November 12
November 24
December 05
November 26
Since 2015, November 26 is observed as Constitution Day to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India by the Constituent Assembly in 1949.
Q9. Which village has been recently notified as Tamil Nadu’s first biodiversity heritage site?
Odunthurai
Navinipatti
Arittapatti
Kidaripatti
Arittapatti
The Government of Tamil Nadu issued a notification declaring Arittapatti Village near Melur in the Madurai district as a biodiversity heritage site.
Q10. Which state is to get India’s first Buddhist University?
Himachal Pradesh
Haryana
Madhya Pradesh
Tripura
Tripura
Tripura is to get India’s first Buddhist Varsity whose foundation stone is to be laid on November 29.
Q11. The seventh edition of the Amur Falcon Festival organized in which state?
Nagaland
Mizoram
Meghalaya
Manipur
Manipur
With an objective to spread awareness on the protection and conservation of Amur falcon, Manipur forest authority is gearing up for the seventh edition of the Amur Falcon Festival at Tamenglong district headquarters, 150 km West of Imphal on November 14.
Q12. Which country recently launched the ‘Orion spacecraft’?
China
Japan
Russia
USA
USA
NASA’s Orion spacecraft has successfully performed its first Moon flyby as part of the uncrewed Artemis I mission It has passed within 130 kilometres of the lunar surface. Orion will travel about 57,287 miles beyond the Moon at its farthest point from the Moon, passing the record set by Apollo 13. Orion will enter a distant retrograde orbit beyond the Moon.
Q13. Who has been recently appointed as Election Commissioner of India?
Arun Goel
Anurag Singh Thakur
Ashok Lavasa
Y. Chandrachud
Arun Goel
Current Election Commissioners are
Rajiv Kumar (15 May 2022 )
Anup Chandra Pandey (8 June 2021)
Arun Goel (19 November 2022)
Q14. Which country launched the ‘Middle East Green Initiative’?
Qatar
Iran
UAE
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the kingdom would contribute USD 2.5 billion to ‘Middle East Green Initiative’ over the next ten years, and host its headquarters. The Middle East Green Initiative was launched by the crown prince in 2021 as part of efforts to reduce regional carbon emissions. The initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions from regional hydrocarbon production by more than 60%.
Q15. Which state became the first state in India to get 5G service in all districts?
Maharashtra
Tamil Nadu
Gujarat
Kerala
Gujarat
Gujarat became the first state in the country to get 5G service in all districts.
Meghalaya cabinet approved mental health and social care policy
Meghalaya announced the first-ever draft state mental health and social care policy. The aim of the policy is to promote overall mental health and well-being and facilitate appropriate access and care pathways.
With this, Meghalaya has become the first state in the Northeast and the third state in India to have ‘Mental Health and Social Care Policy’.
According to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma this policy will ensure proper attention to mental health, especially for children, adolescents, and youths. This policy will ensure that proper attention is given to mental health, particularly for our youth and adolescents.
FSSAI approves Himalayan Yak as a ‘food animal’
The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has approved the Himalayan Yak as a ‘food animal’.
The move is expected to help slow the decline in the population of the high-altitude bovine animal by making it a part of the conventional milk and meat industry. This was proposed by the National Research Centre (NRC) on Yak at Dirang in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
About Himalayan Yak
The Yak is found throughout the Himalayan region – Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, North Bengal, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Yaks are highly valued by Himalayan peoples. They are endemic to the Tibetan Plateau and the adjacent high-altitude regions.
They belong to the Bovini tribe, which also includes bison, buffaloes, and cattle.
They are the lifeline of pastoral nomads in high altitudes of the Indian Himalayan region.
Traditionally, yaks are reared through a primitive, unorganized, complex transhumance system.
India, Australia wargames “Austra Hind 22” begins
The bilateral training exercise “AUSTRA HIND 22” between contingents of the Indian Army and the Australian Army is scheduled to take place at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges (Rajasthan).
Key Points
This is the first exercise in the series of AUSTRA HIND with participation of all arms and services contingent from both armies.
The exercise “AUSTRA HIND” will be a yearly event that will be conducted alternatively in India and Australia.
The purpose of the exercise is to build positive military relations, and promote the ability to operate together while undertaking multi-domain operations in Semi deserts terrain under a UN peace enforcement mandate.
This exercise will further help in strengthening ties between India and Australia.
NITI Aayog releases study report on ‘Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) Policy Framework
NITI Aayog has recently released a study report on Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) Policy Framework and its Deployment Mechanism in India.
Key Points
The report explores the importance of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage as an emission reduction strategy to achieve deep decarbonization from the hard-to-abate sectors.
The report outlines broad level policy interventions needed across various sectors for its application.
As, India has updated its NDC targets for achieving 50% of its total installed capacity from non-fossil-based energy sources, 45% reduction in emission intensity by 2030 and taking steps towards achieving Net Zero by 2070.
The role of Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) becomes important as a reduction strategy to achieve decarbonization from the hard-to abate sectors.
CCUS can enable the production of clean products while still utilizing our rich endowments of coal, reducing imports and thus leading to an Atmanirbhar Indian economy.
CCUS projects will also lead to a significant employment generation. It estimates that about 750 mtpa of carbon capture by 2050 can create employment opportunities of about 8-10 million on full time equivalent (FTE) basis in a phased manner.
The report indicates that CCUS can provide a wide variety of opportunities to convert the captured CO2 to different value-added products like green urea, food and beverage form application, building materials and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) with wide market opportunities in India, thus contributing substantially to a circular economy.
Global Technology Summit 2022
The 7th edition of the Global Technology Summit will be held from November 29, 2022 till the 1st of December in New Delhi in a hybrid format.
Key Points
The Global Technology Summit is India’s flagship annual event on geotechnology and is co-hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs and Carnegie India.
The theme for this year’s Summit is ‘Geopolitics of Technology’.
Its main purpose is to develop new ways to address various concerns of all parties without hindering technological growth and new ideas.
During the summit, the world’s leading experts in technology, government, security, space, startups, data, law, public health, climate change, academics, and the economy will discuss technological progress and its future opportunities.
They will discuss the advantages and challenges of technologies, sustainability, emerging geopolitics in the technology sector, and data for development and ideas for India’s G20 Presidency.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya wins UNESCO Award for cultural heritage conservation
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) in Mumbai has won the Award of Excellence in the 2022 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation is supported by a partnership between UNESCO and Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation since 2021.
Key Points
13 projects from six countries- India, China, Afghanistan, Nepal, Iran, and Thailand- have been acknowledged for awards by the jury in 2022.
Jury deliberations were carried out in November when members reviewed 50 entries from 11 countries from the Asia-Pacific region.
The Domakonda Fort of Telangana and Byculla station of Mumbai are among the winners in the ‘Award of Merit’ category.
The step-wells of Golconda in Hyderabad have won an award in the ‘Award of Distinction’ category.
Topdara Stupa, Charikar, Afghanistan, and Nantian Buddhist Temple, Fujian, China have also received the ‘Award of Merit’.
India-Malaysia joint military exercise ‘Harimau Shakti-2022’
India–Malaysia joint military exercise “Harimau Shakti 2022” commenced at Pulai, Kluang, Malaysia.
The exercise will enhance the level of defence cooperation between the Indian Army and the Malaysian Army which in turn will further foster the bilateral relations between the two nations.
Key Points
Exercise Harimau Shakti is an annual training event between the Indian and Malaysian Army which has been conducted since 2012.
The scope of this exercise involves a Command Planning Exercise (CPX) at the Battalion level and Company level Field Training Exercise (FTX) on sub-conventional operations.
Combat-experienced troops of the Garhwal Rifles Regiment of the Indian Army and the Royal Malay Regiment of the Malaysian Army are participating in the exercise.
The joint exercise schedule includes the establishment of a joint command post, joint surveillance centre, sharing expertise in employment of aerial assets, technical demonstrations, casualty management & casualty evacuation apart from planning logistics at the Battalion level.
Assam Cabinet approves Rs 500 crore for building 2,000 Anganwadi centres
The Assam Cabinet approved Rs 500 crore to construct 2,000 new Anganwadi centres across the state in order to improve childcare services.
The cost of each Anganwadi centre will be Rs 25 lakh, and the total cost of all the centres will be Rs 500 crore.
The Assam Cabinet, which held a special sitting at New Delhi, sanctioned Rs 332.59 crore for building a trumpet interchange at Gauripur in North Guwahati to connect NH-17 with the under-construction six-lane road of the bridge on the Brahmaputra.
To boost the handloom sector, administrative approval was granted to start up the College of Sericulture at Titabar in Jorhat. An amount of Rs 22.14 crore has been approved to set up the institution.
India celebrates 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Barphukan
The 3-day long celebrations of the 400th birth anniversary of Ahom commander Lachit Barphukan began in New Delhi.
Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the exhibition on the occasion highlighting the life and achievement of the Ahom dynasty and Lachit Barphukan among others.
About Lachit Barphukan
Lachit Barphukan was born on November 24, 1622, was a commander and Bophukan in the Ahom Kingdom.
He is remembered throughout the country for his foresight and outstanding leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat.
He was an excellent military leader who was given administrative, judicial, and military duties as one of the five Borphukans of the Ahom kingdom by king Charadhwaj Singha.
He has long been a symbol of the Assamese people’s courage, bravery, and intelligence.
Manipur celebrates Sangai Festival
Manipur Sangai Festival is organized every year to showcase the uniqueness of Manipur. The festival helps in promoting Manipur as a world-class tourism destination.
The festival is named after the state animal, Sangai, the brow-antlered deer found only in Manipur.
The festival is being organized from November 21 to 30.The 10-day festival promotes the northeastern state’s tourism sector.
This festival showcases the tourism potential of the state in the areas of arts and culture, handloom, handicraft, indigenous sports, cuisine, music, adventure sports etc.
The Sangai Festival was held at Sangai Ethnic Park located at Moirang Khunou of Bishnupur district. The festival is being celebrated across 13 venues in six districts of Manipur. The theme of the festival is the ‘festival of oneness’.
Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards announced
The Sangeet Natak Akademi has announced the list of 10 Akademi fellows and 128 artists who will receive the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award For the years 2019, 2020 and 2021.
The awards are given in the categories of music, dance, theatre, other traditional arts and puppetry, and for contribution/scholarship in performing arts.
The Sangeet Natak Akademi has also announced the names of 102 artists for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021.These artists are below the age of 40 years.
The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar identifies and encourages outstanding young talents in diverse fields of performing arts and gives them national recognition so that they may work with greater commitment and dedication in their chosen fields.
The North-eastern States of the country have also been adequately represented with 19 artists from the North-east selected for the Award from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
The Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar carries a purse money of Rs. 25,000/- . The Yuva Puraskar will be presented at a special ceremony by the Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi.
About Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards are the highest national recognition conferred on practicing artists.
The awards are given in the categories of music, dance, theatre, other traditional arts and puppetry, and for contribution/scholarship in performing arts.
The Akademi Awards carries purse money of Rs. 1.00 lakh, a Tamrapatra and an Angavastram.
Khalid Jawed’s ‘The Paradise of Food’ won the 2022 JCB Prize for Literature
Author Khalid Jawed’s “The Paradise of Food”, won the fifth JCB Prize for Literature.The book has been translated by Baran Farooqi from Urdu.
Khalid Jawed’s book ‘The Paradise of Food’ which was originally published as ‘Ne’mat Khana’ 2014, is the fourth translation to win the award and the first work in Urdu.
The book tells the story of a middle-class joint Muslim family over a span of fifty years where the narrator struggles to find a place for himself, at odds in his home and the world outside.
Urdu writer Khalid Jawed received the prize money of Rs. 25 lakh along with a trophy- a sculpture by Delhi artist duo Thukral and Tagra, “Mirror Melting”. Baroon Farooqi also received an additional Rs. 10 lakh for the award.
The shortlisted books, which only included translation, also featured the International Booker-winning Novel ‘Tomb of Sand’ by Geetanjali Shree and Imaan by Manoranjan Byapari.
It was also the first time that the titles in Hindi and Nepali made it to the shortlist of the Literary Award.
The shortlist also included the debut books- Song of the Soil by Chuden Kabimo and ‘Valli’ by Sheela Tomy and each of the shortlisted authors also received Rs. 1 lakh, and the translators Rs. 50,000.
India’s first privately-built rocket Vikram-S has been successfully launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre
ISRO has successfully launched the country’s first private rocket, Vikram-S suborbital vehicle from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
The launch vehicle, Vikram-S (VKS), developed by aerospace startup Skyroot Aerospace is the first-ever launch of a privately developed and built rocket in India.
Vikram launch vehicle consists of the Vikram II and Vikram III series. The Vikram-S launch vehicle can be assembled and launched within 24 hours from any launch site.
VKS is a single-stage solid fuelled rocket, built using advanced technologies including carbon composite structures and 3D-printed components.
Skyroot launched its maiden rocket under the launch mission, ‘PRARAMBH’, which was unveiled by ISRO Chairman, Dr. S. Somanath in Bangalore in November 2022.
Skyroot’s launch vehicles are named ‘Vikram’ as a tribute to the founder of the Indian space programme and renowned scientist Vikram Sarabhai.
Network Readiness Index 2022
India has improved its position by six slots and is now placed at 61st rank as per the Network Readiness Index 2022 (NRI 2022).
The report is prepared by a US-based Portulans Institute, an independent non-profit research and educational institute.
Key Points
The NRI 2022 report ranks a total of 131 economies based on their performances in four different pillars: Technology, People, Governance, and Impact.
India has not only improved its ranking in the Network Readiness Index 2022 but has also improved its score from 49.74 in 2021 to 51.19 in 2022.
As per the Network Readiness Index 2022, India secured 1st rank in “AI talent concentration”. second in ‘Mobile broadband internet traffic within the country,’ third in ‘Annual investment in telecommunication services,’ fourth in ‘ICT Services exports,’ fifth in ‘FTTH/Building Internet subscriptions,’ and sixth in ‘AI scientific publications.’
India is ranked out of 36 in the group of lower-middle-income countries after Ukraine and Indonesia. 4. Notably, the country has a score higher than the income group average in all the pillars and sub-pillars.
The United States tops the list followed by Singapore and Sweden.
Usha Mangeshkar will be conferred with Dr Bhupen Hazarika Award
Assam Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi will present Bishwaratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika International Solidarity Award to renowned singer Usha Mangeshkar.
Usha Mangeshkar was chosen for her contributions to the music industries of Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Nepali, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, and Assamese.
The award consists of a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh, an angavastra, a commendation and a collection of books.
A committee is set up by the Assam Sahitya Sabha to carry out the selection process for the award. Notably, the Asam Sahitya Sabha has been presenting this award in collaboration with Numaligarh Refinery Limited since 2013.
Lubna Marium, a renowned Bangladeshi dancer, art director, researcher, and cultural activist, received the first Dr Bhupen Hazarika International Solidarity Award.
Kokrajhar wins National e-Governance Award
Assam’s Kokrajhar district received a national award for successfully implementing an e-governance project for an effective service delivery system.
The initiative ‘Infrastructure Snapshot Kokrajhar’ won the award for e-Governance for 2021-2022 under the category ‘Excellence in District Level Initiative in e-Governance’.
The award was given by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions of the Government of India.
The ‘Infrastructure Snapshot Kokrajhar’ app is a convergence application developed specifically for grievance redressal, supervision and monitoring.
The app was conceptualised by deputy commissioner of Kokrajhar, Varnali Deka, as a 24×7 configurable mobile based application for effective monitoring of all government schemes and public institutions with both offline and online status update facility.
Purnima Devi Barman honoured with the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Champions of the Earth award 2022
Assam’s Purnima Devi Barman is one of the five ‘Champions of the Earth’ for this year, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced.
Dr Purnima Devi has won the award this year in the ‘Entrepreneurial Vision’ category, for her trail-blazing work in protecting the greater adjutant stork, called ‘hargila’ in Assamese.
Hargilas are five-foot-tall birds that dwell in wetlands in some parts of southeast Asia including India and Cambodia..
Purnima Devi Barman is a wildlife biologist who won the award along with four others from different countries for their transformative action to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation.
She dedicated the award to Mother Earth and all the mothers of the planet as the best education begins at home on the mother’s lap.
The other recipients include Lebanon’s environmental enterprise Arceniel, Peru’s Constantino (Tino) Aucca Chuta for pioneering a community reforestation model driven by a local community. Sir Partha Dasgupta of the UK in the Science and Innovation Category. Cameroon’s Cecile Bibian Ndjebet for advocating the rights of women in Africa to secure land tenure.
About the award
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established Champions of the Earth in 2005 as an annual awards programme to recognize outstanding environmental leaders from the public and private sectors, and from civil society.
It is an annual award accorded for transformative action to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation.
In 2017, the program was expanded to include Young Champions of the Earth.
Two new dwarf varieties of Kalanamak rice has been developed
Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) successfully tested two new dwarf varieties of Kalanamak rice i.e., Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1638 and Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1652 in Uttar Pradesh .
About Kalanamak rice
Kalanamak is a traditional variety of paddy with black husk and strong fragrance.
It is considered a gift from Lord Buddha to the people of Sravasti when he visited the region after enlightenment.
It is grown in 11 districts of the Terai region of northeastern Uttar Pradesh and in Nepal.
It is grown mainly without using fertilizer or pesticide residues, making it perfect for crop production.
It is protected under the Geographical Indication (GI) tag system.
It has been awarded under ‘One District One Product’ (ODOP) scheme as an ODOP product of Siddharthnagar which is an aspirational district located in Terai belt of Uttar Pradesh.
Russia becomes India’s biggest supplier of fertilizers
Russia has become India’s biggest fertilizer supplier in the first half of the 2022-23 fiscal year, overtaking China.
Key Points
Russian exporters reportedly grabbed a 21% share of the Indian fertilizer market in the first half of the 2022-23 fiscal year.
Russian exports reportedly surged 371%, to a record 2.15 million tons from April to October.
In monetary terms, India’s imports over this period increased by 765%, to $1.6 billion.
Russia’s share of Indian fertilizer imports was hovering around 6% during the last fiscal year, while China’s stood at 24%.
In the first half of 2022-23, China’s exports to India halved to 1.78 million tons amid growing Russian supplies.
Arittapatti Village in Madurai notified as Tamil Nadu’s first biodiversity heritage site
The Tamil Nadu Government issued a notification declaring Arittapatti Biodiversity Heritage site the first biodiversity heritage site in the State. The declaration was made under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
Key Points
The state government notified 193.215 hectares of area spread across Arittapatti and Meenakshipuram villages in Madurai district as ‘Arittapatti Biodiversity Heritage Site’.
Arittapatti village, known for its ecological and historical significance, houses around 250 species of birds including three flagship raptor species – Laggar Falcon , Shaheen Falcon, and Bonelli’s Eagle.
It also has Indian pangolin, python, and slender loris.
The area is surrounded by a chain of seven hillocks or inselbergs that serve as a watershed, charging ‘72 lakes, 200 natural springs and three check dams.’
The Anaikondan Lake, built during the reign of Pandiyan kings in the 16th century is one among them.
Several megalithic structures, rock-cut temples, Tamil Brahmi inscriptions and Jain beds add to the historical significance of the region.
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards 2021
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India announced “Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award” (TNNAA) for the year 2021.
The award is given in four categories which are Land Adventure, Water Adventure, Air Adventure, and Life Time Achievement.
Key Points
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards are given every year to recognize the achievements of persons in the field of adventure.
The award aims to encourage young people to develop the spirit of endurance, risk-taking, cooperative teamwork, and quick, ready, and effective reflexes in challenging situations.
Awardees will receive statuettes, certificates and award money of Rs. 15 lakh each.
This year, the National Selection Committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Secretary (Youth Affairs).
Based on the recommendations of the Committee and after due scrutiny, the Government has decided to confer awards upon the following:
Ms. Naina Dhakad in the Land Adventure category.
Shri Shubham Dhananjay Vanmali in the Water Adventure category.
Group Captain Kunwar Bhawani Singh Samyal in the Life Time Achievement category.
The Assam government has launched a new tourism policy. The new policy was launched by Jayanta Malla Baruah, state minister of public health engineering, skill development Employment & entrepreneurship and tourism Jayanta Malla Baruah, in New Delhi and was prepared fter consultations with the World Bank, stakeholders and industry experts.
Key Points
The policy aims to improve the tourism sector in Assam and support the private sector engaged in tourism in the state.
It aims to guarantee and safeguard the effective standardisation of processes and practices to foster uniformity, which can result in sustainability and an overall improvement in the quality of tourism products.
It will promote sustainability by limiting the negative effects of tourism on social, environmental, and economic sectors while ensuring the positive effects.
The policy will aim to advance women for management and leadership positions in their companies and encourage employers to provide childcare support and safe transport for female workers. Particular efforts will be made to train women in male-dominated positions such as guides, cooks, waiters, and drivers, and provide recognition to firms that encourage women in these positions.
Mission Basundhara 2.0
Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the Mission Basundhara 2.0 initiative to ascertain the concept of ‘mor maati, mor adhikaar’ (my land, my rights).
It has been developed to make land revenue services more efficient and accessible to citizens. The services under Mission Basundhara 2.0 are ownership rights to occupancy tenants, settlement of transferred annual Patta land among others.
Mission Basundhara initiative was started by the Government of Assam on 2nd October 2021.
About Mission Basundhara 2.0
Mission Basundhara includes land-related services like land mutation, updating of land records and delivery of these services to the people at their homes without visiting Circle offices through a completely digital process.
Settlement of Government ‘khas’ land and ‘ceiling surplus’ land to eligible persons.
Settlement of Annual Patta (AP) lands that have already been transferred from the original AP Holder to eligible occupant by granting Periodic Patta (PP) with a view to confer permanent, heritable and transferable rights to the PP Holder.
Settlement of Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR)
Settlement of hereditairy land to tribal communities.
Settlement of land for special cultivation (tea, coffee, rubber etc.) to indigenous growers.
Northeast Green Summit begins in Umsaw
The 7th edition of the Northeast Green Summit begins in Umsaw, Meghalaya with the theme ‘Balancing People, Planet, Profit: Sustainable Northeast India and BIMSTEC region’.
The event is organised by Vibgyor NE Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that specialises in green issues of Northeast India.
According to the organiser the event will bring together policy makers, green professionals and budding entrepreneurs.
The event aims to celebrate the rich and diverse natural and cultural heritage of Northeast India, showcase their inter-linkages and focus on the need for an integrated approach for sustaining this heritage.
The summit will showcase the region’s achievements in adopting green practices, products and services. It is striving towards preserving, maximising and developing the potential of the unique biodiversity zone of Northeast India through various awareness programmes.
Shri Arun Goel appointed as new Election Commissioner
President Droupadi Murmu has appointed retired IAS Arun Goel as Election Commissioner of India with effect from the date he assumes the office.
Goel will join Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey in the poll panel.
The post of Election Commissioner in the three-member Election Commission of India had been vacant since May when Rajiv Kumar was elevated from the post of Election Commissioner to CEC upon the retirement of Sushil Chandra.
Arun Goel is an IAS officer from the Punjab cadre. Even though he was scheduled to retire on December 31 at age 60, he took voluntary retirement. Until his voluntary retirement, he was the secretary for heavy industries. He previously worked for the union ministry of culture.
Gandhi Mandela Award 2022
The 14th Dalai Lama conferred the Gandhi Mandela Award 2022 at Thekchen Choeling in Dharamshala’s McleodGanj by the governor of Himachal Pradesh Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
Key Points
The Gandhi Mandela Foundation is a non-profit organisation and a government of India registered Trust.
The foundation is formed with the motive to promote Mahatma Gandhi’s and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela’s values of non-violence.
It has constituted an international prize, the Gandhi Mandela Award.
The foundation instituted the award on the 150th birth anniversary of MK Gandhi.
The award is given to the personalities who have carried forward the legacies of Gandhi and Mandela by making significant contributions in the fields of Peace, Social Welfare, Culture, Environment, Education, Healthcare, Sports and Innovation.
This time, the awardee, Dalai Lama, was selected by a jury including former Chief Justice of India, former Chief Justice of Nepal and former Chief Justice of Bangladesh.
The Dalai Lama is the recipient of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize.
National Sports Awards 2022
The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2022. The President of India will present the awards to the recipients at a specially organized function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on November 30, 2022.
Key Points
Major Dhyaan Chand Khel Ratna Award: Shri Sharath Kamal AchantaTable Tennis
Arjuna Awards For Sports and Games 2022:
Ms Seema PuniaAthletics
Shri Eldhose PaulAthletics
Shri Avinash Mukund SableAthletics
Shri Lakshya SenBadminton
Shri Prannoy HSBadminton
Shri AmitBoxing
Ms Nikhat ZareenBoxing
Ms Bhakti Pradip KulkarniChess
Shri R PraggnanandhaaChess
Ms Deep Grace EkkaHockey
Ms Shushila DeviJudo
Ms Sakshi KumariKabaddi
Ms Nayan Moni SaikiaLawn Bowl
Shri Sagar Kailas OvhalkarMallakhamb
Ms ElavenilValarivanShooting
Shri Omprakash MitharvalShooting
Ms Sreeja AkulaTable Tennis
Shri Vikas ThakurWeightlifting
Ms AnshuWrestling
Ms SaritaWrestling
Shri ParveenWushu
Ms Manasi Girishchandra JoshiPara Badminton
Shri Tarun DhillonPara Badminton
Shri Swapnil Sanjay PatilPara Swimming
Ms Jerlin Anika JDeaf Badminton
Dronacharya Award for Coaches in Sports and Games: Regular Category:
Shri Jiwanjot Singh TejaArchery
Shri Mohammad Ali QamarBoxing
Ms Suma Siddharth ShirurPara Shooting
Shri Sujeet MaanWrestling
Dronacharya Award for Coaches in Sports and Games: Lifetime Category
Shri Dinesh Jawahar LadCricket
Shri Bimal Prafulla GhoshFootball
Shri Raj SinghWrestling
Dhyanchand Award For Lifetime Achivement:
Ms Ashwini Akkunji C.Athletics
Shri Dharamvir SinghHockey
Shri B.C SureshKabaddi
Shri Nir Bahadur GurungPara Athletics
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2022: Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
Awards
Dhyan Chand Award: It was instituted in 2002. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is given for the most spectacular and outstanding performance by the sportsperson over the period of the previous four years.
Arjuna awards: It was instituted in 1961. The “Arjuna Award for outstanding performance in Sports and Games” is granted in recognition of exemplary performance over the course of the previous four years as well as leadership, sportsmanship, and discipline-related attributes.
Dronacharya Awards: It was instituted in 1985 to honour eminent Coaches for producing medal winners at prestigious International sports events.
The “Dronacharya Award for exceptional coaches in Sports and Games” is granted to coaches who consistently perform excellent and meritorious work and help athletes succeed in international competitions.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy: It was instituted in 1956-57. It is given to the overall Top performing University in inter-university tournaments.
Rashtriya Khel Protsahana Purushkar: It was instituted from 2009 to recognize the corporate entities (both in private and public sector) and individuals who have played a visible role in the area of sports promotion and development.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma launches Assam Millet Mission
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the Assam Millet Mission at a function held in Guwahati.
The programme aims to expand and increase millet cultivation across the state.
Key Points
Millet Mission is targeted to raise the nutrition quotient and doubling of farmers’ income.
The mission will also increase crop productivity and contribute to crop diversification.
It will help the farmers of Assam to gain knowledge and handholding about millet farming.
Synchronizing with the programme, the Assam chief minister also started the process of distributing power tillers, pump sets, mini trucks, harvesters, crop seeds, financial aids among beneficiaries.
Along with launching the Millet Mission, the Chief Minister also launched six soil testing and quality control laboratories Bongaigaon, morigaon,Golaghat, Udalgiri,Karimganj and Darrang.
Manipur will host Femina Miss India 2023 in Northeast
The government of Manipur has signed a partnership agreement with the Times group to host the 59th edition of Femina Miss India in the Northeast state of Manipur in April 2023.
The finale of the 59th Femina Miss India in Manipur will be historic as it will be the first to be held in Northeast India.
The partnership agreement was signed between Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Vineet Jain, managing director of Times group.
The objective of this agreement is to celebrate the diverse and inclusive Indian culture and to inspire and empower the local youths by welcoming the best of India talents and providing an opportunity to showcase the state’s rich cultural heritage.
Asia’s largest fountain will be installed in Ujjayanta Palace in Agartala
Asia’s largest fountain will be installed in one of the lakes of Ujjayanta Palace in Agartala in Tripura.
Key Points
The fountain will be 120 metres tall which will be the largest in Asia, will be done under the Agartala Smart City Limited (ASCL) project.
Installation of this fountain at the Ujjayanta Palace in Agartala will be completed by January 2023.
The central government released Rs 294 crore and the state government gave Rs 78 crore. The total amount stands at Rs 372 crore of which Rs 342 crore have been spent on construction so far CEO of ASCL Dr Shailesh Kumar Yadav said.
In total, 67 projects were enlisted and among them, 49 have been completed while 17 projects are are still in progress.
Manipur tops in the Northeast Olympic Games for the second consecutive time
Manipur bagged the top position in the Northeast Olympic Games for the second consecutive time with 237 medals, including 85 (gold), as the second edition of the regional multi-sport event.
Key Points
The Games are being organised by the government of Meghalaya and the state Olympic Association under the aegis of Northeast Olympic Association (NEOA).
Manipur bagged the top position with a total of 240 medals which included 88 gold medals, 75 silver and 77 bronze medals.
Assam took the second spot with a total of 203 medals which included 79 gold medals, 61 silver and 63 bronze medals.
Arunachal Pradesh got the third spot from the host State with a total of 112 medals which included 39 gold, 36 silver and 37 bronze medals.
Meghalaya was at the 4th spot followed by Nagaland at the 5th, Mizoram at 6th, Tripura at 7th and Sikkim was at the last position.
Around 3000 athletes competed in 18 disciplines at 12 venues spread across Shillong. The first edition in Manipur had 12 disciplines.
Nagaland will host the third edition of the Northeast Olympic Games.
Manipur had also topped the medal tally (80 gold, 49 silver, and 33 bronze) when it hosted the inaugural Games in October 2018.
India ranks 8th on Climate Change Performance Index
India has ranked 8th in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2023. India jumps two spots higher to rank eighth out of 63 countries in the Climate Change Performance Index 2023 (CCPI).
The Climate Change Performance Index report was published by German Watch, New Climate Institute and Climate Action Network International based in Germany.
About Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI)
The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), which has been published since 2005, aims to enhance transparency in international climate politics and enables comparison of climate protection efforts and progress made by individual countries.
The CCPI is an independent monitoring tool for tracking the climate protection performance of 59 countries and the EU.
Every year, the CCPI sets off important public and political debates within the countries assessed.
The climate protection performance of these 59 countries, which together account for 92% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The CCPI looks at four categories, with 14 indicators: GHG Emissions (40% of the overall score), Renewable Energy (20%), Energy Use (20%), and Climate Policy (20%).
Key Highlights of the report
In the overall standings, no country ranked first, second or third on the index. Denmark, with a score of 79.61, ranked fourth, followed by Sweden and Chile.
India scored 67.35 points. India’s ranking in categories: In GHGs, it ranked 9 , Renewable Energy (24 ), and Energy Use (9 ), and on Climate Policy (8 ).
The ranking given by CCPI places India as the only G-20 country in the top 10 rank.
The United States rose by three ranks to the 52nd, Iran (63rd), Saudi Arabia (62nd) and Kazakhstan (61st) fared the worst.
Economist Arvind Virmani appointed as full-time member of NITI Aayog
The Government of India has appointed the former Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Virmani as a full-time member of NITI Aayog.
His appointment as the full-time member of NITI Aayog has been approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Currently, there are three members: Dr V K Saraswat, Professor Ramesh Chand and Dr V K Paul.
About Arvind Virmani
Mr. Virmani is the founder-chairman of the non-profit public policy organisation Foundation for Economic Growth and Welfare.
He has served as the Chief Economic Advisor in the Finance Ministry during the Manmohan Singh led Government from 2007 to 2009.
In 2009, he was appointed the Executive Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and he served there till 2012. During his tenure at IMF, he represented India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan.
He was a member of the Reserve Bank of India’s Technical Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy from February 2013 to August 2016.
Assam govt signs MoU with IIM Bangalore for training young professionals
The government of Assam has signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Management (Bangalore) for a training programme for young professionals.
and facilitators to support government administration.
The Chief Minister’s Young Professional Programme (CMYPP) aims at bringing transformative changes in health, education, women, and child development in the state.
Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Samir Kumar Sinha singed the MoU on behalf of the Government of Assam and Director IIM Bangalore Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan signed the understanding on behalf of IIM Bangalore to develop a cadre of committed and competent leaders.
Indo-US joint training exercise ‘YUDH ABHYAS 22’
The 18th edition of Indo – US joint training exercise “YUDH ABHYAS 22” is scheduled to be conducted in Uttarakhand this month. The previous edition of the exercise was conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska (USA) in October 2021.
Exercise Yudh Abhyas is conducted annually between India and USA with the aim of exchanging best practices, Tactics, Techniques and Procedures between the Armies of the two nations.
Key Points
US Army soldiers of 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division and Indian Army soldiers from the ASSAM Regiment will be participating in the exercise.
The joint exercise will also focus on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.
The training schedule focuses on employment of an integrated battle group under Chapter VII of the UN Mandate and the schedule will include all operations related to peace keeping & peace enforcement.
Troops from both nations will practice launching of swift & coordinated relief efforts in the wake of any natural calamity.
The scope of the Field Training Exercise includes validation of integrated battle groups, force multipliers, establishment and functioning of surveillance grids, validation of operational logistics, mountain warfare skills, casualty evacuation and combat medical aid in adverse terrain and climatic conditions.
The exercise will involve exchanges and practices on a wide spectrum of combat skills including combat engineering, employment of UAS/Counter UAS techniques and information operations.
The exercise will facilitate both Armies to share their wide experiences, skills and enhance their techniques through information exchange.
Supreme Court agree to hear plea against first amendment of constitution
The Supreme Court of India agreed to examine a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) challenging changes made to the right to freedom of speech and expression by the first amendment act 1951.
About First Amendment to the Constitution
First Amendment to the Constitution amended Articles 15, 19, 85, 87, 174, 176, 341, 342, 372 and 376.
Provided for the saving of laws providing for the acquisition of estates, etc.
Added the ninth schedule to protect anti-zamindari laws from judicial review. After Article 31, Articles 31A and 31B were inserted.
Added three more grounds for restrictions on freedom of speech and expression: public order, friendly relations with foreign states, and incitement to an offense. Also, it made the restrictions ‘reasonable’ and thus, justiciable in nature.
Provided that state trading and nationalization of any trade or business by the state is not to be invalid on the ground of violation of the right to trade or business.
Arguments against this Amendment
The petitioner, Section 3(1) of the amending Act substituted original Clause (2) of Article 19 with a new Clause (2), which contained two objectionable insertions.
Original Clause (2) of Article 19 was dealing with reasonable restrictions on the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a).
New Clause (2), contained “two objectionable insertions” allowing restrictions also “in the interest of public order” and “in relation to incitement to an offence”.
The amendment neglects national security by dropping the expression ‘tends to overthrow the State’ which raises grave concern in the context of the dangers posed to the concept of the secular democratic republic by radicalism, terrorism and religious fundamentalism.
These two Insertions Protect Sections:
124A: Sedition
Section 153A: Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.
295A: Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs)
505: Statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code from the vice of unconstitutionality.
The plea urged the court to declare Section 3 (1)(a) and 3 (2) of the First Amendment “beyond the amending power of Parliament” and void since the “same damage the basic or essential features of the Constitution and destroy its basic structure”.
G-20 Summit 2022
The 17th G20 Summit began in Bali, Indonesia with the theme of ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger’. Leaders from the world’s major economies attended the summit.
Key Points
The two-day Bali Summit comprises three working sessions at the leaders’ level, in which PM Modi will be participating.
The summit focuses on global economic recovery, global health architecture, digital transformation, sustainable energy transition and climate change etc.
The world is currently struggling with many important challenges including environmental challenges, lack of progress in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), uneven post-pandemic economic recovery, debt vulnerabilities especially in the countries of the global south, ongoing conflict in Europe etc.
G20 leaders will discuss these challenges and underscore the importance of closer multilateral cooperation to help overcome these challenges.
They promised to take coordinated action to address food security challenges and recognised the importance of digital transformation in reaching the sustainable development goals.
They encouraged international collaboration to further develop digital skills and digital literacy.
They expressed their continuous commitment to promoting a healthy and sustainable recovery which builds towards achieving and sustaining universal health coverage.
The 2022 summit is especially important for India since it will be taking over the G20 presidency from Indonesia from December 1, 2022.
19th ASEAN-India Summit
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar led the Indian delegation, including the External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar, at the 19th ASEAN-India Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
The Vice President of India stated that India-ASEAN relationship forms the central pillar of India’s ACT-EAST policy. He reiterated India’s support to ASEAN centrality in the Indo-Pacific.
He said that India and Cambodia share rich traditions and culture while having centuries-old civilization connect. He further added that today Cambodia is an important interlocutor and partner in our ‘Act East’ policy and the ASEAN.
Key Points
At the summit, ASEAN and India adopted a joint statement announcing the elevation of the existing Strategic Partnership to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Both sides reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, maritime safety and security, freedom of navigation and overflight in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Joint Statement also reiterated the commitment to enhance India-ASEAN cooperation in various areas such as maritime activities, counter-terrorism, transnational crimes, cyber security, digital economy, regional connectivity, smart agriculture, environment, science & technology, tourism, among other areas.
The Joint Statement also proposes expediting the review of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) to make it more user-friendly, simple, and trade-facilitative.
About Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on August 8, 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand.
It is a regional grouping to promote economic growth, peace, security, social progress and cultural development.
Its member states are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
India is hosting the two-day conclave to mark the 30th anniversary of its relations with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The year 2022 has been designated as the ‘ASEAN-India Friendship Year’. This year also marks the tenth anniversary of India’s strategic cooperation with ASEAN.
India and ASEAN
ASEAN and India share land and maritime borders, and there is a lot of scope for enhancing connectivity through land, air and sea.
India and several other countries, including the US, China, Japan and Australia, are its dialogue partners.
India provides financial assistance to the ASEAN nations through various mechanisms like ASEAN-India Cooperation Fund, ASEAN-India S&T Development Fund and ASEAN-India Green Fund.
India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway is an ongoing effort to enhance road connectivity between Northeast India and Southeast Asia.
Renowned mathematician and great scholar Padma Shri Awardee Shri RL Kashyap passed away. RL Kashyap translated around twenty-five thousand Sanskrit mantras into English language. He wrote more than 250 research papers.
Kashyap has made many important contributions to the field of Veda.
He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2021 by the central government for his considerable service in the field of studying the Vedas.
Kashyap received many international awards for his immense contributions to the fields of science and technology.
Kashyap worked as a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computers for three decades at Purdue University in America.
Q1. Which Notheastern state has celebrated the 7th edition of the Amur Falcon Festival has been in which of the following state?
Nagaland
Mizoram
Manipur
Arunachal Pradesh
Manipur
The 7th edition of the Amur Falcon Festival has celebrated in the Tamenglong district of Manipur.
Q2. Which country won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022?
India
New Zealand
Pakistan
England
England
England defeated Pakistan by 5 wickets to win the ICC Men’s T20I world Cup 2022.
Q3. World’s highest polling booth Tashigang is located in which state?
Himachal Pradesh
Uttarakhand
Sikkim
Jammu and Kashmir
Himachal Pradesh
Around 98.08 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the world’s highest polling station booth in Tashigang, in Himachal Pradesh.
Q4. Which country will host the Kabaddi World Cup 2025?
India
South Korea
Bangladesh
UK
UK
The World Kabaddi Federation announced that the UK’s West Midlands Region will host the 2025 Kabaddi World Cup.
Q5. The Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary has been notified in which state?
Karnataka
Tamil Nadu
Kerala
Telangana
Tamil Nadu
In its latest step for wildlife conservation, the Tamil Nadu government has notified a “Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary.”
Q6. When is World Diabetes Day 2022 observed?
14 November
05 November
17 November
01 November
14 November
The theme of World Diabetes Day between the years 2021 and 2023 is a really important topic “Access to Diabetes Care.”
Q7. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2022 will be awarded to whom?
Achanta Sharath Kamal
Pullela Gopichand
Kapil Dev
Narain Karthikeyan
Achanta Sharath Kamal
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award 2022 will be awarded to the Table Tennis player Achanta Sharath Kamal.
Q8. Which country is the frontrunner in climate mitigation, as per the Climate Change Performance Index?
India
Germany
Japan
Norway
Denmark
As per the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), the current frontrunner in climate mitigation continues to be Denmark.
Q9. Who has been recently awarded the UK’s Royal Order of Merit in recognition of their distinguished service to science?
C.N.R Rao
Venki Ramakrishnan
Dr Anish Ghosh
Dr Saket Saurabh
Venki Ramakrishnan
Nobel laureate professor Venki Ramakrishnan has been awarded the prestigious Order of Merit by Britain’s King Charles III in recognition of his distinguished service to science.
Q10. India’s rank in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2023 is
4th
7th
8th
11th
8th
India has climbed two spots to bag the eighth position out of 63 in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2023.
Q11. India’s rank among the largest producers of steel in the world?
China
USA
Saudi Arabia
India
India
India has also moved from 4th largest producer of steel to the second largest producer of steel at a global scale.
Q12. Uttar Pradesh Govt announced to make Mathura Vrindavan a carbon-neutral tourist destination by which year?
2024
2029
2035
2041
2041
Q13. National Education Day is observed on November 11 to mark the birth anniversary of
Madan Mohan Malaviya.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
M. Visvesvaraya
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
National Education Day is celebrated every year in India on November 11 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
Q14. World population, as per the World Population Prospects 2022?
10 Billion
9 Billion
8 Billion
7 Billion
8 Billion
As per the ‘World Population Prospects 2022’ report, the world’s population will reach 8 billion.
Q15. Which state has emerged as an overall team champion of the North East Olympic Games 2022?
Manipur
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Meghalaya
Manipur
The 2nd edition of the North East Olympic Games concluded in Shillong, Meghalaya with Manipur emerging as the overall team champion with a total of 240 medals which included 88 Gold Medals, 75 Silver Medals, and 77 Bronze Medals.
Union Minister Gadkari approves Rs 68,000-cr road projects in four Northeastern states
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari approved Rs 68,000 crore, in four Northeastern states to make international standard surface connectivity.
According to Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, the new projects worth Rs 50,000 crore for Assam, Rs 9,000 crore for Meghalaya, Rs 5,000 crore for Nagaland and Rs 4,000 crore for Sikkim were approved.
He stressed upon the importance of coordination and partnership between Central and State agencies to develop top-class transport infrastructure in North Eastern States.
He announced several infrastructure development projects for Assam. He also approved many Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the state.
He informed that his Ministry has approved the DPR of a ring road in Guwahati including a new bridge over Brahmaputra connecting Narengi and Kuruwa apart from 10 flyovers across the State.
Assam government approved the proposal to engage retired Army veterans for training the State Police Personnel
The government of Assam has given its approval to the proposal to engage the retired Army veterans for training the State Police Personnel.
According to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, at least 34 retired Army personnel will be appointed by the state government to impart training to the state police personnel in battalions.
In order to remove disparity in remuneration between Assam Civil Service (ACS) and Assam Police Service (APS) officers the approval has been given by the Assam government to bring parity to pay and promotions (up to the Selection Grade level) for both ACS and APS officers.
During the Assam cabinet meeting several other key decisions in regards to installation of smart meters, enhancement of power supply and bringing parity in pay/promotion of ACS and APS officers were also taken.
State of Food and Agriculture Report, 2022
The State of Food and Agriculture 2022 is one of the annual flagship reports released by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
It provides comprehensive insights into the various issues related to the field of food and agriculture based on science-based assessment. It covers topics that are important for rural and agricultural development as well as global food security.
Highlights of the report
The report assessed various drivers of agricultural automation, including the recently developed digital technologies.
The report analyzed the business case for the adoption of these digital automation technologies based on 27 case studies across various agricultural production systems in the world.
It identified various challenges that are preventing inclusive adoption of these technologies, especially by small-scale producers.
It recognized two major barriers for their adoption – low digital literacy and lack of supportive infrastructure like connectivity and access to electricity.
The report recommended policies that will enable disadvantaged groups to access the agricultural automation technologies, which will help in the creation of sustainable and resilient agri-food systems.
Agriculture sectors in high-income countries in North America, Europe and Oceania have been highly mechanized since the 1960s.
Only ten of the twenty-seven service providers are profitable and financially sustainable. All of these profitable service providers are based in high-income and used solutions that are in the mature phase, serving only large-scale producers.
Adoption is especially limited in sub-Saharan Africa. Agriculture in this region is dominated by human and animal power, limiting productivity significantly. The report recommends setting up sustainable rental mechanisms to address this issue.
The report addresses the concerns regarding the unemployment crisis caused by labour-saving technologies. It gives several recommendations in this regard:
Avoiding subsidization of automation in regions where rural labor is abundant and wages are low
Creation of favorable environment for the adoption of automation technology
Providing social security for low-skilled workers who are likely to lose their livelihood because of the automation.
India will host Women’s World Boxing Championships in 2023
India will host the Women’s World Boxing Championships in 2023 in New Delhi.
This will be the third time that the elite women’s competition will be held in the country having conducted the championships in 2006 and 2018 in New Delhi.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) and the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) signed the MoU in presence of IBA President Umar Kremlev and BFI President Ajay Singh.
Recently, BA President Umar Kremlev, had announced that the men’s world championship, to be held in Tashkent next year in May.
Atal Innovation Mission launches women centric challenges under ANIC program
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog today launched Woman centric challenges under phase-II of the 2nd edition of the Atal New India Challenge (ANIC).
ANIC is an initiative launched to select and support technology-based innovations that solve sectoral challenges of national importance and societal relevance through a grant-based mechanism of up to ₹1 crore.
Key Points
The Woman centric challenges address the major issues faced by women from all spheres of life.
These include driving women hygiene through innovation, innovations to improve women’s safety, professional networking opportunities for women, innovations that make working mothers’ life better, and easing the life of Rural Women.
NITI Aayog currently runs the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), which was launched in 2018, to help women become entrepreneurs, scale up their innovations and create sustainable, long-term strategies for their businesses.
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is Government of India’s flagship initiative to create and promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of our country.
AIM’s objective
Developing new programs and policies to promote innovation in various sectors of the economy.
Providing forums and opportunities for collaboration for various stakeholders.
To create an umbrella structure to create awareness and monitor the innovation ecosystem of the country.
PM Narendra Modi flagged off first ‘Vande Bharat’ train in South India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first Vande Bharat Express Train on the Mysore-Chennai route at Krantiveera Sangolli Railway station in Bengaluru.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also flagged off the ‘Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan’ train which is operated by Karnataka’s Muzrai Department under the ‘Bharat Gaurav’ train policy of Railways.
Key Points
This will be the fifth Vande Bharat Express train in the country and the first such train in South India.
The Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat Express will boost connectivity as well as commercial activities between Chennai, Bengaluru and Mysuru.
Vande Bharat Express Train is touted to be an advanced version of trains developed indigenously by the Indian Railways.
PM Modi also flagged off the ‘Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan’ train. Under the ‘Bharat Gaurav’ train policy of Railways, the train is operated by Karnataka’s Muzrai Department.
Karnataka is the first state to take up this train under the Bharat Gaurav scheme in which the Government of Karnataka and the Ministry of Railways are working together to send pilgrims from Karnataka to Kashi.
