Current Affairs Assam – April 2018
( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the month of April 2018 )
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April 23
India’s Forest cover grew by over 6,700 sq km
According to the Forest Survey of India (FSI) India’s Forest cover grew by over 6,700 sq km. Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka makes key contribution.
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala have contributed to an increase of 2,141 sq km, 1,101 sq km and 1,043 sq km forest area respectively. The total forest and tree cover in India is 24.39% of country’s geographic area.
FSI Director General Saibal Dasgupta said that the current assessment shows that 15 states/UTs have above 33 per cent of the geographical area under forest cover.
Besides, the forest cover in the hill districts of the country was recorded at 2,83,462 sq km, which is 40.22 per cent of the total geographic area of these districts.
Area wise, Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover (77,414 sq km) in the country, followed by Arunachal Pradesh (66,964 sq km), Chhattisgarh (55,547 sq km), Odisha (51,345 sq km) and Maharashtra (50,682 sq km).
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) – India’s most valued company
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) become the country’s most valuable firm. It ranks 97th in the list of world’s 100 most valued companies. This comes after its market cap crossed $100 bn. The company is believed to have a valuation of over Rs 6.11 trillion in terms of market capitalisation.
TCS holds number one position followed by RIL, HDFC Bank at Rs 5.18 trillion, ITC with Rs 3.36 trillion m-cap and HDFC at Rs 3.12 trillion. Mukesh Ambani’s led Reliance Industries Limited was the first Indian company to cross $100 billion mark.
Rafael Nadal Win 11th Monte Carlo Masters Title
Rafael Nadal won the 11th Monte Carlo Masters title. He has won the title by defeating Japan’s Kei Nishikori. He beat Kei Nishikori by 6-3, 6-2 points to win the title and retain his place as world number one. Nadal also overtook Serbia’s Novak Djokovic to clinch most Masters 1000 titles (31).
With this achievement he became become the first male tennis player in the Open Era to win the same title 11 times in his career with his 76th ATP Tour title.
Dadasaheb Phalke Awards 2018 to Vinod Khanna
The 65th National Awards honoured legendary actor Vinod Khanna with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest film honour, for his stupendous contribution to Indian cinema.
The National Awards, which were announced in New Delhi, also posthumously awarded Vinod Khanna’s Chandni co-star Sridevi Best Actress, who drowned in a Dubai hotel bathroom in February.
Vinod Khanna, best known for films like Amar Akbar Anthony, Qurbani, Achanak, Hera Pheri, Muqaddar K Sikander, kick-started his journey in Bollywood with negative roles in movies like Mera Gaon Mera Desh and Purab Aur Paschim. 1971’s Hum Tum Aur Who was his first film, which cast him in the lead role. Vinod Khanna was last seen in 2015’s Dilwale, co-starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.
Vinod Khanna, an iconic movie legend, also has awards like Filmfare Best Supporting Actor award (which he won for his 1975 film Haath Ki Safai and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (which he was honoured with in 2000).
FACTFILE – The Dadasaheb Phalke Award
- The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India’s highest award in cinema. It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
- The recipient is honoured for their “outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema”
- As of 2016, the award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of ₹10,00,000.
- First presented in 1969, the award was introduced by the Government of India to commemorate Dadasaheb Phalke’s contribution to Indian cinema.
- Dadasaheb Phalke, often regarded as “the father of Indian cinema”, was an Indian film-maker who directed India’s first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra (1913).
- The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani.
- As of 2017, there have been 49 awardees. Among those, actor Prithviraj Kapoor (1971) and actor Vinod Khanna are the only posthumous recipients.
- The most recent recipient of the award is actor Vinod Khanna who will be honoured at the 65th National Film Awards ceremony. Khanna has been awarded posthumously.
April 24
National Panchayat Raj Day celebrated on 24 April
Every year in India 24 April is celebrated as the National Panchayati Raj Diwas (Day). This day marks the passing of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 that came into force with effect from 24 April 1993.
The passage of 73rd amendment is hailed as a defining moment in history as it permits states to take steps to organize village panchayats and provide them with necessary powers and authority necessary to facilitate them to function as units of self-government.
About National Panchayati Raj
(i) Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh inaugurated the first National Panchayati Raj Day in 2010.
(ii) This date marks a defining moment in the history of decentralization of political power to the grassroots level.
(iii On this day Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj organises National Conference and awards best performing Gram Panchayats with ‘The Panchayat Shashakatikaran Puraskar/Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar’.
India remains the highest recipient of remittances in 2017: World Bank
According to the World Bank’s latest Migration and Development Brief India has retained its position as the top remittances receiving country with its diaspora sending about $69 billion back home in 2017.
Remittance inflows improved in all regions and the top remittance recipients were India with $69 billion, followed by China ($64 billion), the Philippines ($33 billion), Mexico ($31 billion), ($22 billion), Nigeria and Egypt ($20 billion.
Key Facts
(i) Global remittances, which include flows to high-income countries, grew 7 percent to $613 billion in 2017, from $573 billion in 2016. Global remittances are expected to grow 4.6 percent to $642 billion in 2018.
(ii) Remittances are expected to continue to increase in 2018, by 4.1 percent to reach $485 billion. The global average cost of sending $200 was 7.1 percent in the first quarter of 2018, more than twice as high as the Sustainable Development Goal target of 3 percent.
(iii) Remittances to the East Asia and Pacific region rebounded 5.8 percent to $130 billion in 2017, reversing a decline of 2.6 percent in 2016.
(iv) Remittances to countries in Europe and Central Asia grew a rapid 21 percent to $48 billion in 2017, after three consecutive years of decline.
(v) Remittances flows into Latin America and the Caribbean grew 8.7 percent in 2017, reaching another record high of nearly $80 billion.
(vi) Remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa accelerated 11.4 percent to $38 billion in 2017, supported by improving economic growth in advanced economies and higher oil prices benefiting regional economies.
(vii) The largest remittance recipients were Nigeria ($21.9 billion), Senegal ($2.2 billion), and Ghana ($2.2 billion).
Centre relaxes Protected Area Permit regime from Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur
The Home Ministry has decided to relax the six-decade-old Protected Area Permit regime from Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur for five years with effect from April 1, 2018.
Foreign tourists would now be allowed to visit some of the most pristine locations of the country which, so far, were out of bounds for them without the special permit.
Citizens from Pakistan, China and Afghanistan, however, continue to be banned from all PAP areas, including Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur.
FACTFILE – Protected Areas under Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958
- Under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, all areas falling between the Inner line and the International Border of some states were declared as protected areas.
- The protected areas currently include whole of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.
- Some parts of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir.
- Some parts of Sikkim fall under the protected area regime while others under the restricted area.
FACTFILE – Protected Area Permit
- As per MHA’s December 2010 circular, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland were excluded from protected area regime initially for a period of one year from January 2011, subject to some conditions.
- Under Protected areas Regime, foreign nationals are not normally allowed to visit protected or restricted area unless Government is satisfied that there are extra-ordinary reasons to justify their visit.
- Except for the citizens of Bhutan, every foreigner who desires to enter and stay in protected or restricted area, is required to obtain special permit (PAP) from competent authority.
- In cases of the citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan and foreign nationals of Pakistani origin, no permit can be issued without the prior approval of the Union Home Ministry.
- In cases of foreign diplomats and members of the United Nations and international organisations holding diplomatic or official passports, the special permits are issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.
Diu Smart City become first Indian city to run on 100% renewable energy during day
The Diu Smart City has become the first city in India that runs on 100 per cent renewable energy during the daytime. It was importing 73 per cent of its power from Gujarat till last year.
The city has developed a 9-MW solar park spread over 50 hectares rocky barren land, besides installing solar panels on the rooftops on 79 government buildings, generating 1.3 MW annually. Diu also offers its residents a subsidy of Rs 10, 000-50,000 for installing 1-5 -KW rooftop solar panels.
The city is saving about 13,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year and due to low-cost solar energy, power tariffs have been cut in residential category by 10 per cent last year and 15 per cent this year.
For night, Diu still have to import power from Gujarat, but with windmill projects implementation, it can be self-sufficient in energy needs.
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