Current Affairs Assam – February 2018 e-Magazine
February 7
State govt signs MoU for Twin Towers in Guwahati
The Government of Assam has signed an MoU with the National Building Construction Corporation (India) Limited for setting up a ‘Twin Tower Trade Centre’ in Guwahati at a project cost of Rs 1,950 crore in self-financing mode. The iconic project will be implemented at Basistha Crossing near NH37 with a completion period of 60 months. The construction work of the Twin Tower, commencing on July 2018 using green technologies, will reflect the rich natural heritage and culture of Assam.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said that the building would not be just an impressive structure, but would embody the spirit of progress, the aspirations of youth with world-class design. “We are a $ 2.5 trillion economy and 50 per cent of it is the external sector. This economy is going to be $ 6 trillion by the year 2025 and we should therefore be thinking along the lines of Prime Minister’s vision of Swachhata, Housing for All and Smart Cities to reap the maximum dividend. This building is going to be not only a symbol of the greatness of Assam, but also a visible manifestation of PM’s Act East Policy,” he added.
Puri also stressed the need for improved connectivity in the North East for becoming a nodal point for connectivity with the South East Asia and for prosperity of the region. He also put thrust on ease of doing business for drawing clients for procuring space in the Twin Tower and said that with urbanization taking new form, it is always helpful to be able to have inter-State economic entities at one place.
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, in his speech, said that the State government, with its aim to create an ecosystem through which the State would prosper, has decided to build the Twin Tower Trade Centre to develop an international environment for business. Thanking the NBCC for taking up the responsibility to build the towers, he hoped to get support from all quarters. “The modern towers with in-house arrangements will give a major boost to business in the State,” he asserted.
“DASTAK” Campaign Launched by Uttar Pradesh Govt.
Uttar Pradesh State Government, in association with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched ‘DASTAK’ on 5th February 2018. It was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow.
‘DASTAK’ is a door to door campaign to eradicate deadly Acute Encephalitis (AE) Syndrome and Japanese Encephalitis (JES) disease from the state. The tagline for DASTAK is “Darwaja khatkhatao, AES aur JE ko bhagao”.
FACTFILE – Japanese encephalitis (JE)
- Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an infection of the brain caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV).
- While most infections result in little or no symptoms, occasional inflammation of the brain occurs. In these cases symptoms may include headache, vomiting, fever, confusion, and seizures. This occurs about 5 to 15 days after infection.
- JEV is generally spread by mosquitoes, specifically those of the Culex type. Pigs and wild birds serve as a reservoir for the virus. The disease mostly occurs outside of cities. Diagnosis is based on blood or cerebrospinal fluid testing.
- Prevention is generally with the Japanese encephalitis vaccine, which is both safe and effective. Other measures include avoiding mosquito bites. Once infected there is no specific treatment, with care being supportive.
- The disease occurs in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. About 3 billion people live in areas where the disease occurs. About 68,000 symptomatic cases occur a year with about 17,000 deaths. Often cases occur in outbreaks. The disease was first described in 1871.
FACTFILE – Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) including Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a group of clinically similar neurologic manifestation caused by several different viruses, bacteria, fungus, parasites, spirochetes, chemical/ toxins etc.
Maharashtra becomes first state to have Transgender Welfare Board
Maharashtra will be the first such State to have Transgender Welfare Board. The Transgender Welfare Board was first conceptualised in 2014 by the previous government. Maharashtra government has made a provision of Rs 5 crore for welfare of the transgender community.
The Minister of State for Social Justice Dilip Kamble announced that the Board will be set up in a month’s time.It will look after education, employment, housing, and health schemes for transgenders and protect their Constitutional and human rights.
The issue of setting up such a board for implementing welfare schemes for transgenders and protecting their rights was mentioned in the third women’s policy of the state government, accepted by the cabinet in 2013.The policy promises various welfare measures for working women in the state.
Jerome H Powell Sworn In As 16th Chairman Of Federal Reserve
Jerome H Powell was sworn in as the 16th Chairman of the Federal Reserve for a four-year term. Mr Powell has succeeded Janet Yellen, the first woman to lead the US central bank in its 100-year history. Powell was nominated for the post in November 2017 by President Donald Trump. The oath was administered by Vice Chairman Randal K. Quarles in the Board Room.
FACTFILE – Federal Reserve
- The Federal Reserve System is the central banking system of the United States. It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, after a series of financial panics (particularly the panic of 1907) led to the desire for central control of the monetary system in order to alleviate financial crises.
- The U.S. Congress established three key objectives for monetary policy in the Federal Reserve Act: maximizing employment, stabilizing prices, and moderating long-term interest rates. Its duties have expanded over the years, and as of 2009 also include supervising and regulating banks, maintaining the stability of the financial system and providing financial services to depository institutions, the U.S. government, and foreign official institutions.
- The Fed conducts research into the economy and provides numerous publications, such as the Beige Book and the FRED database.
- It is governed by the presidentially appointed Board of Governors or Federal Reserve Board (FRB). Twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks, located in cities throughout the nation, oversee the privately owned U.S. member banks.
February 8
Brahmaputra Literary Festival from Feb 9
The second edition of the Brahmaputra Literary Festival will begin from February 9 at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra. To be attended by around 120 authors from ten countries, the event will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in the presence of noted writer David Collin from France and scholar Indranath Choudhuri.
Authors, scholars, academicians, media and film personalities, illustrators, graphic artists among others from India and abroad will participate in the event organised jointly by the National Book Trust, India and Publication Board Assam.
Publication Board Assam secretary Pramod Kalita said writers from France, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Portugal, UK, Sweden, Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia and Austria will attend the three-day event.
The organisers are expecting around 3,000 delegates in the second edition of the event. Among noted literary personalities who would be participating in the event from abroad are Ashok Ferrey from Sri Lanka, Bee Rowlett from the UK, Zac O Yeah from Sweden, Nasreen Jahan from Bangladesh and Santiago Ruy from Mexico.
The event is being supported by the Assam College Teachers Association and the Song & Drama Division of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
Director of National Book Trust Rita Chowdhury said the festival will provide a platform to young writers. “They will meet writers from outside and this would instill in them a confidence. They will also get an opportunity to meet publishers and share their ideas and works,” she said.
Prithvi II Missile successfully launched
India successfully test fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable missile Prithvi II. It was launched as part of the user trial by the Indian Army from a test range in Odisha.
.The launch was carried out from a mobile launcher from the launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Odisha.The missile trajectory was tracked by radars, electro-optical tracking systems and telemetry stations by the DRDO along the coast of Odisha. Prithvi II is a surface-to-surface missile having a strike range of about 350km.
FACTFILE – Prithvi
- Prithvi is a tactical surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) developed by DRDO of India under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP). It is deployed by India’s Strategic Forces Command.
- The Government of India launched the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program in 1983 to achieve self-sufficiency in the development and production of wide range of ballistic missiles, surface-to-air missiles etc. Prithvi was the first missile to be developed under the program. DRDO attempted to build a surface-to-air missile under Project Devil. Variants make use of either liquid or both liquid and solid fuels. Developed as a battlefield missile, it could carry a nuclear warhead in its role as a tactical nuclear weapon.
- The Prithvi missile project encompassed developing three variants for use by the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy. The initial project framework of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program outlines the variants in the following manner.
- Prithvi I (SS-150) – Army version (150 km (93 mi) range with a payload of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb)
- Prithvi II (SS-250) – Air Force version (350 km (220 mi)[3] range with a payload of 500 kg (1,100 lb)
- Prithvi III (SS-350) – Naval version (350 km (220 mi) range with a payload of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb)
Mumbai Airport becomes World’s Busiest Single-Runway Airport
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport of Mumbai sets record with 980 flights in 24 hours or almost one flight every minute. With this, the Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport bettered its own feat of 974 flights in 24 hours, recorded in December 2017. While Gatwick, the U.K.’s second-largest airport, remains the most efficient single-runway airport in the world.
February 9
OIL to invest Rs 10,000 cr in State in next 5 years
The Chairman cum Managing Director of the Oil India Limited (OIL), Utpal Bora said that the OIL would be investing around Rs 10,000 crore in the next five years in an effort to increase crude production and other infrastructure development in Assam.
OIL would be spending around two thousand crore rupees a year for a period of five years from the next financial year, which would include drilling of oil wells, infrastructure development, etc.
The crude production by the OIL has started showing an increasing trend after going on a decline for a few years and revealed that the OIL has been making all-out efforts to further increase production. The increase of crude production would be beneficial for the State as a whole.
He said that under the provision of the new Hydrocarbon Licence policy of the Government of India, the OIL has placed bids for 10 blocks in the North East, one in Rajasthan and one in the Krishna-Godavari basin.
The OIL CMD pointed out that connecting the North East with the national grid would give a major economic boost to the region. He revealed that for connecting the region with the National Gas Grid, the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) has been entrusted with the responsibility of laying a 750-kilometre long gas pipeline from Barauni to Guwahati. He also stated that the OIL, along with the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), GAIL and the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), would form a company to take up the job of connecting the state capitals of the region with gas pipelines. The project would also include connecting the gas-producing areas. Around 15,000 kilometres of gas pipeline would have to be laid at a cost of Rs 6,000 crore under the project. Once the project is completed, it would be possible to provide piped natural gas to households.
Bora said that apart from catering to the domestic need, connecting the region with the National Gas Grid would have other major benefits. He pointed out that gas is also required for power plants and other industries, while, it would be possible to set up CNG stations so that vehicles can with CNG, which would be cheaper and cleaner. With the government pursuing the Act East Policy, connecting the region with the National Gas Grid would open up an ocean of opportunities, he added.
There is presently a gap between demand and supply of gas in the region. In fact, around 40 per cent of gas requirement in the country is met with imports. Moreover, the price of gas in the international market is also expected to come down soon and this is the appropriate time to connect the region with the national grid.
FACTFILE – Oil India Limited (OIL)
- Oil India Limited (OIL) is the second largest hydrocarbon exploration and production company with its operational headquarters in Duliajan, Assam.
- It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
- It’s a ‘Navratna’ PSU with its corporate offices in Noida in the New Delhi-NCR region.
- OIL is engaged in the business of exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas, transportation of crude oil and production of liquid petroleum gas.
- The company’s history spans the discovery of crude oil in the far east of India at Digboi, Assam in 1889 to its present status as a fully integrated upstream petroleum company.
- OIL has around 7228 employees
South Central Railway – 1st Rail Zone to have 100% LED Lighting at Stations
The South Central Railway (SCR) has become the first railway zone in the country to complete 100% LED lighting at all the stations under its jurisdiction.
It has attained the status of becoming the first zone in the Indian Railways to complete 100% LED lighting in all the 733 stations under its jurisdiction.
Bermuda becomes first Country to abolish Same-Sex Marriage
Bermuda becomes the first country to legalize and then repeal same-sex marriage. Bermuda’s governor John Rankin approved a bill reversing the right of gay couples to marry, despite a Supreme Court ruling last year authorizing same-sex marriage.
