Current Affairs Assam June 08 - 14 , 2018
( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of June 08- 14, 2018 )
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June 8
World Ocean Day celebrated on June 8, 2018
The World Oceans Day is celebrated on June 8 every year with the aim to spread awareness about importance of oceans in our lives, no matter where on earth we live and to honour, help protect, and conserve the oceans of the world.
Oceans are massive water bodies which have impact on climate across the planet, and any change in the nature of oceans is bound to adversly affect the earth’s environment.
The Government of Canada proposed the concept at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
In December 2008, as the result of a resolution passed in the United Nations General Assembly, World Oceans Day is now officially recognized by the UN on June 8 each year.
Theme for this year’s observation day is Preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean.
RBI amends Gold Monetisation Scheme to make it more attractive
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made some changes in the Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS) to make it more attractive. These changes are aimed at enabling people to open a hassle-free gold deposit account.
- The short-term deposits should be treated as bank’s on-balance sheet liability. These deposits will be made with the designated banks for a short period of 1-3 years.
- The Medium Term Government Deposit (MTGD) can be made for 5-7 years.
- Long Term Government Deposit (LTGD) for 12-15 years or for such period as may be decided by the Central Government from time to time.
FACTFILE – Gold Monetisation Scheme
- In 2015, the government launched the Gold Monetisation Scheme 2015(GMS) with the objective of mobilising the gold held by households and institutions in the country.
- It replaced the existing Gold Deposit Scheme (GDS) 1999.
- Implementation: As per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) directives all Scheduled Commercial Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks) will implement GMS 2015.
- Deposit limit: Minimum deposit at any one time of raw gold in the forms of bars, coins, jewellery excluding stones and other metals is 30 grams with 995 fineness. There is no maximum limit for the deposit.
- The scheme allows banks’ customers to deposit their idle gold holdings for a fixed period in return for interest in the range of 2.25 per cent to 2.50 per cent.
Google installed free Wi-Fi in 400 railway stations in India
Technology major Google has installed free Wi-Fi hotspots in 400 Indian railway stations, in 2.5 years time. The project called ‘RailWire’, which it launched in January 2016, is the “largest public Wi-Fi project in the world”. RailTel is helping Google with the infrastructure.
Dibrugarh Railway station in Assam is the 400th railway station to be installed Free WiFi services. In the first year, 100 stations were brought online. Users get 30-minute access to internet for free.
Google claims that 8 million people are accessing its internet service with an average of 350MB of data being used per session by each user. After its immense success in India, Google Station is now available in Mexico and Indonesia with more countries to follow in the long run.
India discover planet 600 light years away, joins distinguished league
In an incredible achievement, scientists at Ahmedabad’s Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) have discovered a planet around 600 light years away from Earth. The ‘sub-Saturn’ or ‘super-Neptune’ planet’s mass is roughly 27 times that of Earth, and its radius six times bigger.
The discovery was made by using the indigenously designed ‘PRL Advance Radial-velocity Abu-Sky Search’ (PARAS) spectrograph integrated with 1.2m telescope at an Observatory located in Mount Abu.
Scientists said the name of the host star is EPIC 211945201 or K2-236 and the planet will be known as EPIC 211945201b or K2-236b. The surface temperature of the planet was found to be around 600 degrees Celsius, as it is very close to the host star. India has joined a select few countries that have discovered planets around stars.
NASA finds 3 billion years old organic molecules on Mars surface
NASA’s robot explorer Curiosity rover has discovered organic molecules formed approximately 3 billion years ago in sedimentary rocks near the surface of Mars, which suggest the existence of life on the Red Planet at the past.
NASA, clarifies that the organic molecules, though commonly associated with life, can also be created by non-biological processes, and are not necessarily indicators of life. Organic molecules contain carbon and hydrogen, and also may include oxygen, nitrogen and other elements.
Curiosity rover landed in Mars in 2012 and it founded the first indications of water on Mars in 2013 and it also determined that the concentration of methane in the planet’s thin atmosphere fluctuates regularly with the planet’s seasons.
June 9
Prime Minister Modi went to China to attend SCO Summit
India’s PM Narendra Modi went to Qingdao, China, to attend the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on 9–10 June 2018.
This is India’s first participation in the summit as a full-time member of the organization, as India and Pakistan became a full-time member of the SCO during the Astana summit in June 2017.
FACTFILE – Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation bloc, which experts see as seeking to challenge the Western-led order, is dominated by China and Russia and also includes Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan besides India.
- It was conceived as a platform for resolving border issues and fighting terrorism.
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), or Shanghai Pact, is a Eurasian political, economic, and security organization.
- It’s creattion was announced on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai, China by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Charter was signed in June 2002 and entered into force on 19 September 2003.
- The original six nations, except Uzbekistan, were previously members of the Shanghai Five group, founded on 26 April 1996 in Shanghai.
- India and Pakistan joined SCO as full members on 9 June 2017 at a summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.
- The SCO is often called as the “alliance of Asia”, due to its growing importance and centrality in the Asian continent.
- It’s World’s largest regional organisation in terms of geographical coverage and population, covering three-fifths of the Eurasian continent and nearly half of the human population.
Geo-Intelligence Asia – 2018 held in New Delhi
The Eleventh edition of GeoIntelligence Asia 2018 was held at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi on 04-05 June 2018. It was organised by GeoSpatial Media and Communication with Directorate General of Information System as Knowledge Partners and Military Survey as Co-organisers.
The theme of Seminar was ‘GeoSpatial : A Force Multiplier for Defence and Industrial Security’.
The military, security officials including BSF and Police Forces, Government and industry came together to examine the latest technology solutions and on the critical role of geospatial technology in military and security applications.
Tripura‘s queen variety Pineapple declared Tripura’s ‘State Fruit’
President Ram Nath Kovind declared Tripura’s queen variety pineapple as state fruit of Tripura. Tripura holds good potential in world trade and export of the pineapple to foreign countries is a major step in connecting with world trade.
Recently, Tripura exported its first consignment of one tonne pineapples to Dubai.
President also mentioned that Tripura holds a very important position to develop trade with ASEAN countries including neighbouring Bangladesh adding the central government was serious about developing the Northeast through its ‘Act East’ policy.
FACTFILE –States and their State Fruit
- Tamil Nadu – Jackfruit (“Artocarpus heterophyllus”)
- Telangana – Mango Maamidi Pandu (Mangifera indica)
- Kerala – Jackfruit
- Tripura – Pineapple Queen variety
West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi to have Additional Charge of Tripura also
Governor of West Bengal, Keshari NathTripathi, was given the additional charge of Tripura also for the period of absence on leave of Tathagata Roy, Governor of Tripura.
The President of India is pleased to appoint Keshari Nath Tripathi to discharge the functions of the Governor of Tripura, in addition to his own duties, during the absence on leave of Tathagata Roy, Governor of Tripura.
FACTFILE – Governor /Lieutenant Governor/Administrator
- The governors and lieutenant-governors/administrators of the states and UTs of India have similar powers and functions at the state level as that of the President of India at Union level.
- Governors exist in the states while lieutenant-governors exist in union territories and in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
- The governor acts as the nominal head whereas the Chief minister is the defacto head of the states and his/her councils of ministers.
- The governors and lieutenant-governors are appointed by the President for a term of five years.
Qualifications – Article 157 and Article 158 of the Constitution of India specify eligibility requirements for the post of governor.
A governor must:
- be a citizen of India.
- be at least 35 years of age.
- not be a member of the either house of the parliament or house of the state legislature.
- not hold any office of profit.
- Powers and functions
Functions – The primary function of the governor is to preserve, protect and defend the constitution and the law, under Article 159 of the Indian constitution.
The governor has many different types of powers:
- Executive powers related to administration, appointments and removals,
- Legislative powers related to lawmaking and the state legislature, that is Vidhan Sabha or Vidhan Parishad,
- Discretionary powers to be carried out according to the discretion of the governor
West Bengal govt to invest Rs 107 cr to check riverbank erosion
State Govt of West Bengal to invest Rs 107 crore to check erosion at vulnerable areas along the banks of the Ganga and the Padma. The project will be completed by March 2019.
During financial year 2017-18, WB State Irrigation Department had invested Rs 72.1 crore for the same purpose. With this investment of Rs 107 crore, a stretch of 15 km will be concretised, so that the soil does not get eroded any more.
Around 37 spots have been identified where erosion of riverbanks is a serious problem and causes disruption to the normal lives of people living there. All those most vulnerable sites will be concretised initially.
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