Current Affairs Assam – February 2018 e-Magazine
February 19
Botanical Survey of India inks MoU with UKs Natural History Museum
The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and UK’s Natural History Museum (NHM) have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of genetic and taxonomic studies, research and training, conservation in India, including species and habitat conservation assessments. The Open up mediums of collaboration in science, support further research and boost scientific study for benefit of both India and UK.
FACTFILE – New Development Bank (NDB)
- Botanical Survey of India (BSI), founded 13 February 1890, is Government of India Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s organization for survey, research and conservation of plant resources, flora and endangered species of India, including by collecting and maintaining germplasm and gene bank of endangerd, patent and vulnerable plant species.
- BSI (botany) as well as ASI (archaeology), FiSI (fisheries), FSI (forests), GSI (geology), IIEE (ecology), NIO (oceanography), RGCCI (population survey) and language survey), SI (cartography) and ZSI (zoology) are key national survey organisations of India.
Mumbai to have India’s 1st Artificial Intelligence Centre
In a first in the country, the Maharashtra government will be setting up an institute for artificial intelligence (AI) in Mumbai. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will unveil the plan for the institute during the Magnetic Maharashtra Summit and at the Global Economic Conference in Canada in March 2018.
India’s 2nd Mission to Moon Chandrayaan-2 to be launched in April 2018
According to the Union Minister of State of the Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to launch Chandrayan-2 Mission around April 2018. It is the country’s second mission to the moon.
Chandraayan-2 is a challenging mission as for the first time we will carry an orbiter, a lander and a rover to the moon. Chairman of Isro K Sivan stated that the total cost of the Chandrayaan 2 mission will be about Rs 8 billion. The window for launch is open until October 2018.
FACTFILE – Chandrayaan-2
- Chandrayaan-2 is India’s second lunar exploration mission after Chandrayaan-1.
- Developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the mission is planned to be launched to the Moon by a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mk II). It includes a lunar orbiter, lander and rover, all developed by India.
- Chandrayaan 2 is scheduled to launch in April 2018 and will attempt to soft land a lander and rover in a high plain between two craters, Manzinus C and Simpelius N, at a latitude of about 70° south. If successful, Chandrayaan-2 will be the first-ever mission to land a rover near the lunar south pole.
- According to ISRO, this mission will use and test various new technologies and conduct new experiments. The wheeled rover will move on the lunar surface and will perform on-site chemical analysis. The data will be relayed to Earth through the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter.
February 20
Assam first to conduct drill in gaon panchayats
Assam has become the first State in the country to carry out emergency disaster management exercise involving all the stakeholders to the grass root level by carrying out such exercises in all the gaon panchayat areas. From the next financial year, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) is planning to carry out such exercises in every village of the State.
As Assam faces disasters regularly, mostly floods, and some areas are prone to landslides, while the State falls under Zone V of the seismic map of India, a decision was taken to carry out such exercises in the grassroot level to improve preparedness to mitigate the damages. From the current financial year, emergency disaster management exercises are being carried out in the gaon panchayat level. The Fire and Emergency Services, State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, etc., also help out the ASDMA in carrying out the exercises, while the concerned Deputy Commissioners coordinate the efforts so that personnel from all the concerned departments are fully involved in the process.
The exercises include training on search-and-rescue operations, first aid, management of relief camps, etc. The guidelines for the exercises, monitoring format, etc., are being sent from the ASDMA headquarters here and around Rs 5,000 is spent on carrying out the exercises in each gaon panchayat. The State has 2,202 gaon panchayats and within this financial year, three such exercises were carried out simultaneously in all those places and the fourth one will be carried out on March 8.
40 Indian Languages and Dialects on the verge of Extinction
According to a report released by Census Directorate, more than 40 languages or dialects in India are considered to be endangered and are believed to be heading towards extinction as only a few thousand people speak them
The report says that in India around 22 scheduled and 100 non-scheduled languages are spoken by majority of people and on the darker side 40+ languages are spoken by less than 10,000 people.
Milkbasket recognised as ‘Startup Of The Year’ 2017
Milkbasket, India’s first and largest micro-delivery platform recognized as ‘Startup of the Year’ 2017 at the 7th Small Business Awards held in New Delhi.
The startup of the year award is dedicated to young SMEs, aged 7 years or less, with great potential to become big in local/international markets.
February 21
Supreme Court ordered to publish NRC final list on June 30
The Supreme Court ordered publication of the final list of National Register of Citizens (NRC) on June 30. Resuming the hearing on updating of the NRC, a Bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman rejected Attorney General KK Venugopal’s appeal seeking time till July 31 for publication of the final NRC list, citing the prevailing situation in the State.
After perusing a report submitted by State Coordinator Prateek Hajela in a sealed envelope, the Supreme Court fixed May 31 for completion of verification of all pending applications. Thereafter it gave the State Coordinator a month’s time to complete all related work before publishing the final list on June 30.
According to an estimate submitted by the Assam government, at least 1 crore applications are pending examination.
PNB Arm, IFC tie up to raise $800 Million for Affordable Housing
PNB Housing Finance Ltd has tied up with International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, to raise $800 million for green and affordable housing in India.
IFC is in negotiations with two other housing finance firms to invest another $150 million, as well as with property developers to assist the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) from both the demand and supply sides. Under PMAY, the government offers interest subsidy of 6.5% to economically weaker sections on their home loans. The scheme is for people with an annual income up to Rs3 lakh.
FACTFILE – International Finance Corporation (IFC)
- The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is an international financial institution that offers investment, advisory, and asset-management services to encourage private-sector development in developing countries.
- The IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
- It was established in 1956, as the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group, to advance economic development by investing in for-profit and commercial projects for poverty reduction and promoting development.
- The corporation’s total investments in 2011 amounted to $18.66 billion. It committed $820 million to advisory services for 642 projects in 2011, and held $24.5 billion worth of liquid assets.
- IFC comes under frequent criticism from NGOs that it is not able to track its money because of its use of financial intermediaries. For example, a report by Oxfam International and other NGOs in 2015, “The Suffering of Others,” found the IFC was not performing enough due diligence and managing risk in many of its investments in third-party lenders.
Asmita Yojana on Women’s Day launched by Maharashtra
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Maharashtra government will attempt to remove the taboo associated with the topic of menstrual hygiene with increased awareness by launching Asmita Yojana.
The scheme will be formally launched on March 8. The scheme will be launched with an objective of providing sanitary napkin packets at Rs. 5 to the girls of Zilla Parishad schools.The women of rural areas can avail at sanitary napkin packets at Rs. 24 and Rs. 29.
International Mother Language Day observed on 21 Feb
International Mother Language Day (IMLD) is observed on 21 February every year to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and promote multilingualism.
The day was announced by UNESCO on 17 November 1999 and formally recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in a resolution establishing 2008 as the International Year of Languages.
FACTFILE – International Mother Language Day
- International Mother Language Day has been observed annually since 2000 to promote peace and multilingualism around the world and to protect all mother languages.
- It is observed on February 21 to recognize the 1952 Bengali Language Movement in Bangladesh.
