Current Affairs Assam – January 2018 e-Magazine
January 25
National Voter’s Day celebrated on 25th January
The Election Commission of India celebrated the 8th National Voters’ Day across the country on 25th January for enhanced participation of citizens in the electoral process.
President Ram NathKovind gave away awards for best electoral practices to District Collectors, Superintendents of Police and other functionaries involved in election management.
Theme of national voter day in 2018 “Accessible India”.
FACTFILE – National Voter’s Day
- In order to encourage more young voters to take part in the political process, Government of India has decided to celebrate January 25 every year as ‘National Voters’ Day’.
- It started from January 25, 2011 to mark Commission’s foundation day.
- Such eligible voters would be enrolled on time and handed over their Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) on January 25 every year, adding this initiative is expected to give the youth a sense of empowerment, pride and inspire them to exercise their franchise.
- The theme of NVD 2016 is ‘Inclusive and qualitative participation’ reiterating the commitment towards reaching out to the last voter and promoting informed and ethical voting. The slogan ‘No Voter to be left behind’ has been coined to further emphasis the focus on inclusiveness.
- The National Awards are being conferred for excellence, proficiency and innovation in election processes and procedures.
India, Thailand discuss economic ties, security
Economic and commercial exchange and defence and security between India and Thailand were among the issues discussed during a bilateral meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi held with his Thai counterpart Prayut Chan-o-cha.
India-Thailand bilateral trade stands at around $8 billion, tilted largely in favour of the latter. Work is also under way on a trilateral highway connecting India, Myanmar and Thailand, which, according to the External Affairs Ministry, will be operational by the end of 2019.Under its Act East Policy, India is pushing to boost its relationship via connectivity, commerce and culture with this regional bloc.
In July this year, Thailand will take over from Vietnam the role of country coordinator for India with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional bloc.
Prayut, along with other Heads of state and government of all 10 Asean nations will be attending the to attend the Commemorative Summit to mark 25 years of the India-Asean Dialogue Partnership.
All 10 Asean heads of state and government who will also attend this year’s Republic Day celebrations as guests of honour.
19 places in NE to be linked under UDAN-2
Under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN-2, at least 19 destinations in the Northeast, including five cities in Assam, are proposed to be connected. The destinations also include eight airports and helipads in Arunachal Pradesh, five in Manipur and one in Sikkim, announced Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok GajapathiRaju unveiling the UDAN-2 scheme.
In keeping with the government’s policy relating to ease of doing business and UDAN facilitating regional air connectivity by making it affordable for the masses, the Centre has decided to focus on priority areas, which include the north-eastern region, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, among others.
Airports and helipads proposed to be connected in Assam are Jorhat, Lilabari, Rupsi, Tezpur and Nagaon.Jorhat is going to be connected to Kolkata, Pasighat and Tezu by Zoom Air, IndiGo and SpiceJet. Lilabari is going to be connected to Kolkata and Tezpur, and Rupsi to Guwahati by Trujet. Tezpur is going to be connected to Kolkata, Lilabari and Shillong by Zoom Air and AAA Aviation.
Jorhat, Lilabari, Nagaon and Tezpur in Assam will have helicopter service, while Arunachal Pradesh will have helicopter service connecting Daparizo, Itanagar, Pasighat, Walong, Tezu, Yinghiong, Tuting and Ziro.Pawan Hans will have helicopter service in Manipur connecting Jiribam with Tamenglong, Moreh with Imphal and Perbung with Thanion. Tamenglong will also have helicopter connectivity with Imphal and Jiribam.
India ranks 81st in Global Talent Competitiveness Index
India has improved its position from 92nd in 2017 on the index. India has moved up on a global index of talent competitiveness to the 81st position in the report that was released in the first day the 48th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
Switzerland has topped the list, followed by Singapore and the US. European countries dominate the top ranks, with 15 out of the top 25 places.
The list released every year on the first day of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting.
India ranks 177th in Environmental Performance Index
India ranks 177 among 180 countries in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2018, according to a biennial report by Yale and Columbia Universities along with the World Economic Forum. India ranked 141 in 2016 report.
FACTFILE -Environmental Performance Index
- The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is a method of quantifying and numerically marking the environmental performance of a state’s policies.
- This index was developed from the Pilot Environmental Performance Index, first published in 2002, and designed to supplement the environmental targets set forth in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
- The EPI was preceded by the Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI), published between 1999 and 2005. Both indexes were developed by Yale University and Columbia University in collaboration with the WEF.
- The ESI was developed to evaluate environmental sustainability relative to the paths of other countries.
- Due to a shift in focus by the teams developing the ESI, the EPI uses outcome-oriented indicators, then working as a benchmark index that can be more easily used by policy makers, environmental scientists, advocates and the general public.
- Other leading indices like the Global Green Economy Index (GGEI) provide an integrated measure of the environmental, social and economic dynamics of national economies.
In EPI 2018, Top 10 countries
- Switzerland
- France
- Denmark
- Malta
- Sweden
- United Kingdom
- Luxembourg
- Austria
- Ireland
- Finland
January 26
Padma Shri Award to PG Baruah, Arup Kr Dutta, Joyshree Mahanta
MD of The Assam Tribune Group of Publications, Prafulla Govinda Baruah, noted author Arup Kumar Dutta and writer Joyshree Goswami Mahanta have been honoured with the Padma Shri award, announced on the eve of the Republic Day celebrations.
Prafulla Govinda Baruah took over as the MD of the Assam Tribune Group in 1966 and he is also the editor of The Assam Tribune, which was founded by his Radha Govinda Baruah in 1939.
Arup Kumar Dutta is a writer and journalist, who has 17 adventure novels and 14 other books to his credit. In 2014, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Honour by the Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children, New Delhi, and the Indian chapter of the International Board of Books for Young People. He has also won numerous awards, including the Shankar’s Award in 1979, conferred to mark the International Year of the Child.
Joyasree Goswami Mahanta is an Indian politician. She was a Member of Parliament, representing Assam in the RajyaSabha the upper house of India’s Parliament as a member of the AsomGanaParishad. She is an Assamese language writer and educationalist.
ASEAN leaders as Chief Guest on 69th Republic Day of India
Marching contingents, strategic defence weaponry and colourful tableaux were on display as India celebrated its 69th Republic Day with a grand parade watched by thousands of people along with ten ASEAN leaders who attended the event as chief guests, in a historic first.
Signifying India’s fast growing strategic ties with ASEAN, leaders of all the 10 countries of the powerful bloc attended the parade at the majestic Rajpath which showcased the country’s military might and cultural diversity.
Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San SuuKyi, Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen XuanPhuc, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, Thai Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, Singaporean Premier Lee HsienLoong and Brunei’s Sultan Haji HassanalBolkiah were among the ASEAN leaders who attended the event.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Prime Minister of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith and Cambodian Premier Hun Sen also watched the grand parade.
The highlight of the parade was the motorcycle contingent, ‘SeemaBhawani’, comprising women personnel of the BSF that showcased their skills for the first time at the parade.
FACTIFLE – ASEAN
- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional intergovernmental organisation comprising ten Southeast Asian countries which promotes Pan-Asianism and intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military, educational and socio-cultural integration amongst its members and other Asian countries.
- Since its formation on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, the organisation’s membership has expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
- Its principal aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress, and sociocultural evolution among its members, alongside the protection of regional stability and the provision of a mechanism for member countries to resolve differences peacefully.
- ASEAN member countries covers a land area of 4.4 million square kilometres, 3% of the total land area of Earth. Their territorial waters important in terms of sea lanes and fisheries.
- Member countries have a combined population of approximately 640 million people, 8.8% of the world’s population.
- The Group’s combined nominal GDP is more than USD $2.8 trillion, making it the sixth largest economic entity in the world.
- Due to its global influence and regional success, ASEAN has been credited as one of the world’s most successful and influential organisations, and an “emerging powerhouse”.
- ASEAN created the first regional community in Asia, an achievement hailed as “Asian miracle” by many, and serves as an international role model of seeking strength and harmony among countries of diversity and differences.
- The organisation’s ASEAN Plus Six mechanism is the main foundation of East Asian Community and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world’s largest economic bloc.
- ASEAN is an official United Nations Observer, as well as an active global partner.
Membership: 10 states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam )
Observers: 2 ( Papua New Guinea and East Timor Timor Leste)
ASEAN Plus Six: 10 ASEAN countries and six coutries viz. India, Australia, New Zealand, People’s Republic of China, Japan, and South Korea.
January 27
Kolkata becomes the 1st Indian Metro to get a Floating Market
Kolkata has become the first Indian Metro to get a Floating Market. The market will be located on a water-body with boats doubling up as shops. The market, located on the eastern fringes of the city, was inaugurated by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The aim is to rehabilitate over 200 shopkeepers from a nearby market that was demolished for the widening of the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. The market will host at least 114 boats, each one accommodating two shops.
India, ASEAN to enhance trade: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India and the ASEAN will work towards further enhancing trade that has touched USD 70 billion, growing 25 times in the last 25 years.
Highlighting the importance of information and communication technology, he said it will forge new bond of digital connectivity between India and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and help connect remote areas.
The nature of ASEAN-India partnership has evolved significantly, he said, while proposing a dialogue on digital financial inclusion and investment promotion to deepen understanding and cooperation in financial matters.
“Our trade has grown 25 times in 25 years. Investments are robust and growing. We will further enhance trade ties and work towards greater interaction among our business communities,” Modi said at the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit here.
Trade between the 10-nation regional block and India has grown to USD 70 billion in 2016-17, he said, adding that investments between ASEAN and India are robust and growing.
The Prime Minister emphasised on a new area of cooperation through a regional high capacity fibre optic network to digitally connect remote areas.“India offers to undertake a pilot project on rural connectivity which will create digital village in Cambodia, Laos PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam. Success of this project could be replicated in other ASEAN countries,” he said.
