Tag: assam current affairs December 2018

Assam Current Affairs – December 22-28, 2018

Posted on by admin 
Current Affairs Assam – December 22 - 28, 2018

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of December 22-28, 2018 )

December 2018 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                                               Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

December 22

Assam Publication Board Lifetime Achievement Award to Nagen Saikia
  • The Publication Board, Assam today announced its Lifetime Achievement Award for the current year to former Asam Sahitya Sabha president Prof Nagen Saikia.
  • The award consists of a cash amount of Rs 2 lakh, a citation, a shawl and a packet of books published by the Publication Board.
India, China agree on ‘10 pillars’ of cooperation
  • Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi held extensive talks under a newly set up framework and agreed on “10 pillars” of cooperation to enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges to open a new chapter in Sino-India ties.
  • Minister said the armies of the two countries are working to strengthen communication and striving to implement confidence building measures that will help in maintaining peace and tranquility in border areas, which she said, is an important prerequisite for development of ties.
  • On trade ties, there was a need to find a solution to India’s expanding trade deficit with China and hoped that China will provide support for market access to Indian goods and services.
  • India and China have agreed on ‘10 pillars’ of cooperation to enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges. These pillars are cultural exchange, cooperation in films and television, museum administration and sports, exchanges between youths, cooperation on tourism, exchanges between states and cities, cooperation in traditional medicine, yoga and education.
India and Japan signed loan agreements worth more than Rs 6,600 crore
  • India and Japan exchanged notes and signed loan agreements worth more than Rs 6,600 crore for developing the second phase of Chennai Metro, to help India on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and for a dairy project.
  • The Government of Japan has committed JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Official Development Assistance (ODA) totalling Yen 105.497 billion (equal to Rs 6,668.46 crore, approximately) for the three projects.
  • The Japanese ODA loan for Chennai Metro Project (Phase 2)(I) is for JPY (Japanese Yen) 75.5 billion, JPY 15.0 billion for Program for Japan-India Cooperative Actions towards SDGs in India and JPY 14.9 billion for Project for Dairy Development.
  • The notes were exchanged between Finance Ministry’s Department of Economic Affairs Additional Secretary C.S. Mohapatra and Ambassador of Japan to India Kenji Hiramatsu. The loan agreement for Chennai Metro and dairy project was signed between Mohapatra and JICA New Delhi Chief Representative Katsuo Matsumoto.
  • The cooperative actions programme aims to promote SDGs in India especially in social development by supporting government efforts to strengthen policy framework and implementation mechanism, thereby supporting India in achieving SDGs by 2030.
  • The dairy development project aims to increase sale of milk and dairy products by increasing farmers’ access to organised market, upgrading dairy processing facilities and marketing infrastructure and enhancing the capacity of producers owned institutions.
SDG India index by NITI Aayog
  • The government’s premier think tank has developed the country’s first SDG India Index to document the progress made by India’s states and Union Territories towards meeting SDG targets and released a baseline report for 2018.
  • Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have come out as the front runners in implementing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets.
  • Along with the three states, the UTs of Chandigarh and Puducherry were also among the front runners on the SDG India Index with a score between 65 to 99 on a scale of 0 to 100, where 100 signifies that it has achieved the 2030 national targets.
  • The SDG India Index baseline report 2018 highlights the progress being made by states and UTs in moving towards multiple targets of the SDGs.
  • The SDGs are ambitious global development goals that address key aspects of universal wellbeing across different socio-economic, cultural, geographical divisions and integrate the economic, social and environmental dimensions of development.
  • The Index has been developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Global Green Growth Institute and United Nations in India.
  • The Index tracks progress of all states and UTs on 62 priority indicators selected by NITI Aayog, which in turn is guided by MoSPI’s National Indicator Framework comprising 306 indicators and based on multiple-round consultations with ministries and states.
Odisha govt approves Rs 10,000 crore KALIA scheme for farmers
  • The Odisha cabinet approved the Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) scheme amounting to over Rs 10,000 crore for farmers.
  • The scheme will provide financial, livelihood, cultivation support along with insurances to the farmers.
  • Under KALIA, the amount will be spent over a period of three years till 2020-21. All the small and marginal farmers of the state (over 30 lakh) will be covered under this scheme.
  • An amount of Rs 10,000 per family at the rate of Rs 5,000 each for kharif and rabi seasons will be provided financial assistance for taking up cultivation.
  • This assistance is for five crop seasons spanning three years from 2018-19 to 2021-22.
  • Annual financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per household will be provided to take care of sustenance of those farmers who may not be able to take up cultivation or avail livelihood options due to old-age, disability, disease or other reasons.
  • Life insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh and additional personal accident cover of Rs 2 lakh will be provided to both cultivators and landless agricultural labourers covering about 57 lakh households.

December 23

State-level Farmers’ Fair held at Kahikuchi
  • Two-day-long State level Farmers’ Fair cum Farmer-Scientist interaction programme on the topic, ‘Doubling the farmers income by 2022 in Assam: Technological options and way forward’ was organised by the ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI), Zone VI, at the Horticultural Research Station, AAU, Kahikuchi.
  • The inaugural programme was attended by Parimal Suklabaidya, Minister of Fisheries, Excise, Environment & Forest, AK Singh, DDG, Agricultural Extension, ICAR, New Delhi, Dr SN Goswami, Vice-Chancellor, CMJ University, Jorabat, Meghalaya, Dr L Obed, Director, Coconut Development Board, Guwahati, Dr Bidyut C Deka, Director, ICAR-ATARI Zone-VII, Umiam, Dr Prasanna Pathak, DEE, AAU, Jorhat and other dignitaries of ICAR institutes and Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat.
Assam is a source state for child trafficking, says ASCPCR
  • The Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) in collaboration with UNICEF Assam organised a State-level workshop ‘Prevention and response to combat child trafficking in Assam’ at the Assam Administrative Staff College.
  • ASCPCR Chairperson Dr Sunita Changkakati mentioned that Assam is a source state for child trafficking since the children are trafficked to different destination states and subjected to various forms of torture and exploitation.
  • Chief of UNICEF Assam, Dr Tushar Rane, gave a brief overview of the context and data on child trafficking and appreciated the child protection workforce for their tremendous work towards rescue and protection of vulnerable children.
  • The workshop discussed the key bottlenecks in addressing the issues of child trafficking and also explored and identified the key areas of intervention to combat child trafficking and ensure justice to the victim.
  • The participants included representatives from the Department of Social Welfare, State Child Protection Society, police, district legal services authorities, child welfare committees, district child protection units and civil society organisations from all the districts of the State.
Binod Khanal to receive Pratima Pandey Award
  • This year’s Pratima Barua Pandey Award will be given to BinodKhanal, an exponent of folk culture from Biswanath district.
  • The award, instituted by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) in memory of legendary singer Pratima Barua Pandey, is given every year to a person having significant contribution in preserving and promoting the folk culture of the State.
Nuclear-capable Agni-IV successfully test fired
  • Nuclear strategic ballistic missile Agni-IV was successfully test fired from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast on 23rd December.
  • The Strategic Forces Command of Indian Army successfully test fired the surface-to-surface intermediate range ballistic missile from launchpad number-4 of the integrated test range at 8.30 a.m.
  • The missile was test-fired as a part of user training exercise.
  • The missile, which has the latest features to correct and guide itself for in-flight disturbances, is equipped with state of the art Avionics, 5th generation onboard computer and distributed architecture.
  • Earlier in December, Agni-V was successfully test fired from APJ Abdul Kalam Island.
7th anti-terrorism India-China military exercise ends
  • The 7th edition of anti-terrorism India-China joint military exercise concluded in Chengdu area of China. The Validation and Closing ceremony of the seventh edition of joint India-China military exercise ‘Hand-in-Hand 2018’ was conducted at Chengdu, China.
  • The exercise included lectures and discussions on various counter-terrorism aspects, like cordon and search operations, raid on terrorist hideouts, intelligence collection and joint operations.
  • Also, integrated live firing was conducted for both contingents to enhance interoperability and promote jointmanship.
  • As part of validation exercise, troops of both armies carried out specialised joint counter-terrorist operations including room intervention and hostage rescue which was witnessed by dignitaries of both armies
  • Exercise Hand-in-Hand 2018 was very successful in increasing the bonhomie and camaraderie amongst troops from both countries.
GST Council nods formation of Centralised Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling (AAAR)
  • The GST Council on Saturday gave its approval to creation of a Centralised Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling (AAAR) by amending the GST Act.
  • The GST Council in its 31st meeting held here gave in-principle approval to the creation of AAAR to deal with the cases of conflicting decisions by two or more State Appellate Advance Ruling Authorities on the same issue.
  • The Council also approved amendments to “Section 50 of the CGST Act”, which would allow interest to be levied only on the net tax liability of the taxpayer, after taking into account the admissible input tax credit.

 

December 2018 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                                                  Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

APSC mains 2018 test series GS & Optional Paper
Pages: 1 2 3 4

Assam Current Affairs – December 15-21, 2018

Posted on by admin 
Current Affairs Assam – December 15-21, 2018

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of December 15-21, 2018 )

December 2018 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                                               Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

December 15

ICCCBSA Global meet on climate change under way at AAU, Jorhat
  • The four-day International Conference on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture (ICCCBSA) commenced at the Assam Agricultural University, where 1,038 individual research papers to be presented in the conference would throw up at least 15 integrated researchable projects to mitigate climate change, conserve the earth’s biodiversity and assist in sustainable agriculture.
  • Grant Singleton, Principal Scientist at the International Rice Research Institute, (Philippines) and the Guest of honour of the event, said that sustainable development of agriculture was the need of the hour as by 2050 the earth would have to feed a population of seven billion people.
  • The conference has been organised as part of the year-long golden jubilee celebrations from April 2018 to March 2019.

FACTFILE – Assam Agricultural University (AAU)

  • AAU is an agricultural education state university which was established in 1969 in Jorhat in the state of Assam, India.
  • The jurisdiction of the University extends to the entire State of Assam with regard to teaching, research and extension education in the field of agriculture and allied sciences.
  • It was established in 1969
  • Vice-Chancellor – Kamal Malla Bujarbaruah
  • The university has six Regional Agricultural Research Stations in each agricultural zone of Assam at Titabar, North Lakhimpur, Shillongoni, Diphu, Gossaigaon and Karimganj.
  • The university also has four Commodity Research Stations at: Citrus Research Station, Tinsukia, Sugarcane Research Station, Buralikson, Horticulture Research Station, Kahikuchi and Goat Research Station, Burnihut.
  • The university also has established Krishi Vigyan Kendras for extension purpose in all the districts of Assam.
Nokpante fest in Garo Hills
  • The 7th Nokpante Festival, a winter festival of Garo Hills region, was organised by Damas Youth Forum (DYF) in collaboration with the NGH administration, Sports and Youth Affairs and Tourism departments and GHADC.
  • The two-day festival included traditional games that are unique to the community like wapong ska, makkre wa’jol malla, matcha matchu, makkre bolgong malla, sa’rong’kol kalla, sompi sompa, among others which test the physical and mental capacity of the contestants as well as their expertise.
  • The highlight of the festival was the traditional fashion show for both men and women. Boys dressed themselves as warriors (matgrik) and the girls in traditional dakmanda. The festival concluded with a Rock show that included local Rock bands Riprap, Jethro, Markus.
India Post launches e-commerce portal
  • India Post announced the soft launch of its e-commerce portal, the Department of Posts has done only soft launch and full fledge operations of the service will start around or after mid-December.
  • The Department facilitates has collected and remitted more than Rs 2,700 crore under cash-on-delivery till January 2018 since its introduction in December 2013.
  • The ongoing e-commerce business segment resulted in increase of 13 percent revenue of India Post in the 2017-18 and total revenue the department earned under Speed Post till January 2018 was Rs 1,502.60 crore.
India signed Agreement with Google for better flood management
  • The Central Water Commission (CWC) has signed a collaboration agreement with Google for improving the flood prediction system. As per the agreement, the CWC and Google will share technical expertise in the fields of artificial intelligence, machine learning and geo-spatial mapping.
  • The MoU covers analysis of hydrological observation data to collaborate on improving the flood prediction systems, which will help provide location-targeted, actionable flood warnings, a high priority research project utilising the Google Earth engine to help visualise and improve flood management and a cultural project to build online exhibitions on the rivers of India. The term of agreement is for three years.
  • According to the CWC, the States affected by floods till October, 2018 include Tripura, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka (extreme flood situation), Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, NCT Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
India, Myanmar committed to combat terror
  • The India-Myanmar joint statement signed during the state visit of President Ram NathKovind also noted the need to maintain security and stability along the India-Myanmar border, which is essential for the socio-economic development of the population living in the border areas.
  • India and Myanmar have reiterated their commitment to not allow insurgent groups to use their soil for hostile activities.
  • Both sides underlined their mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and reaffirmed their shared commitment to fight insurgent activities and the scourge of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
  • Both sides reiterated their mutual respect for the already demarcated boundary between the two countries and emphasised the need to resolve amicably outstanding boundary demarcation issues at the earliest, through existing bilateral mechanisms.
  • The leaders of the two countries reaffirmed their common aspiration for peace, collective prosperity and development of the region and beyond. The leaders agreed to continue exploring new opportunities to expand bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of the people of both countries.
  • Both sides agreed to sign at the earliest the MoU for cooperation on combating timber trafficking and conservation of tigers and other wildlife. Negotiations on the MoU on bilateral cooperation for prevention of trafficking in persons; rescue, recovery, repatriation and reintegration of victims of trafficking are nearing completion.
  • With regard to the Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project, both sides welcomed the signing of the MoU on appointing a port operator, which would enable the Sittwe Port and Paletwa IWT infrastructure to be used commercially for the development of the surrounding areas.

December 16

Digital CIC opened in Baksa district of Assam
  • A digital Community Information Centre (CIC), established under ‘SBI Gram Seva’, a flagship programme of the State Bank of India’s CSR initiative, was inaugurated in Baksa district.
  • The project is being implemented in the district across five remote villages by the Assam Centre for Rural Development (ACRD), an NGO working on various developmental issues.
  • The CIC, first-of-its kind in the district, is meant for the backward tribal communities to access government schemes, jobs, health, internet and rural banking services.
  • Each CIC is digitised and has a computer, wi-fi connectivity, a flat screen TV, drinking water facility, library, books, and information related to government jobs and schemes, among other things.

FACTFILE – ‘SBI Gram Seva’

  • The ‘SBI Gram Seva’ project is a flagship programme launched by the State Bank of India Foundation in 2017 across six states of India, including Assam.
  • It focuses on integrated development of villages through the gaon panchayats.
India, France reiterate resolve to jointly fight terrorism
  • India and France reiterated their resolve to jointly fight the global scourge of terrorism following delegation-level talks headed by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian.
  • Both India and France were implementing their outlined action in joint strategic vision cooperation in the Indian Ocean region.
  • Now the two sides are working towards deepening and expanding these large contacts, especially at the operational and service level.
  • Le Drian also called for a joint collaboration between the two countries in the field of cinema.
Nasscom partners IIT-Madras for training workforce in digital skills
  • Nasscom has collaborated with the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras for its FutureSkills Platform that is targeted at re-skilling/upskilling four million people on digital skills.
  • Under its FutureSkills Platform, Nasscom aims to re-skill/upskill four million people from the IT-ITeS industry, students entering the workforce and employees of other industries/government on digital skills.
  • The partnership with IIT-Madras will facilitate the building of an able workforce to support the industry and other stakeholders. This will ensure that there is plenty of trained manpower for the jobs being created in the evolving ecosystem.
  • The partnership will be directly with the Sector Skills Council (SSC) which is the education and skill development initiative of Nasscom.
  • The SSC and IIT Madras will work towards building a skills academy and establish a program with extensive courses and training programmes to facilitate skill building in the institution
Amazon India signs MoU with FISME to empower MSMEs
  • Amazon India on 13th December announced a partnership with the Federation of Indian Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises(FISME) to empower Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to leverage growth opportunities in the e-commerce sector.
  • As per the MoU, Amazon.in in collaboration with FISME will conduct various events and workshops across the country that will enable and encourage the MSMEs in the country to sell their products to millions of consumers from India and across the globe by leveraging e-commerce marketplace solutions.
  • in and FISME aim to educate MSMEs on the nuances of online selling domestically and also B2C exports to enable them to sell across multiple international locations.
  • Through the collaboration, MSMEs will get access to experts from Amazon, FISME and various service providers to help them understand the procedures and requirements related to areas such as logistics, cataloging, imaging, taxation and will guide them through the entire process of selling through the e-commerce marketplace route.
  • MSMEs will be educated on digital business opportunity, brand building, documentation, listing methodology and services such as fulfillment by Amazon & Sponsored Ads.

 

December 2018 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                                                  Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

APSC mains 2018 test series GS & Optional Paper
Pages: 1 2 3 4

Assam Current Affairs – December 1-7, 2018

Posted on by admin 
Current Affairs Assam – December 1-7, 2018

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of December 1-7, 2018 )

December 2018 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                                               Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

December 1

North East Skill Centre (NESC) to be launched in January
  • The ambitious North East Skill Centre (NESC) project, a joint collaboration of the Assam Skill Development Mission (ASDM) and Institute of Technical Educational Services, Singapore (ITEES), will be launched in January.
  • The centre will offer a one-year certificate course to achieve the twin goal of generating employment and meet the demand of the industry for skilled manpower.
  • Specialised and industry-driven training would be imparted in four sectors – beauty and wellness, retail services, hospitality –food and beverage service and hospitality – housekeeping.
  • The NESC will have state-of-the-art infrastructure located on a sprawling campus in Guwahati with a fully equipped laboratory.
G20 summit: India presents 9-point agenda on fugitive economic offenders
  • India on Friday presented a nine-point agenda to G20 member nations calling for strong and active cooperation among them to comprehensively deal with fugitive economic offenders.
  • The agenda was presented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the second session of the G20 Summit on international trade, international financial and tax systems.
  • Cooperation in legal processes such as effective freezing of the proceeds of crime, early return of the offenders and efficient repatriation of the proceeds of crime should be enhanced and streamlined.
  • India also called for joint efforts by G-20 countries to form a mechanism that denies entry and safe havens to fugitive economic offenders.
  • India suggested the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) should be called upon to assign priority and focus to establishing international cooperation that leads to timely and comprehensive exchange of information between the competent authorities and financial intelligence units.
  • India also advocated setting up of a common platform for sharing experiences and best practices including successful cases of extradition, gaps in existing systems of extradition and legal assistance, etc.
Double Taxation Pact between India & Hong Kong came into effect
  • The double taxation avoidance pact between India and Hong Kong came into effect on 30th November after both sides completed the due procedures.
  • The agreement between India and Hong Kong for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income was signed on March 19.
  • India completed all the relevant procedures required by its laws for the entry into force of the agreement on May 11 and the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region completed all the relevant procedures required by its laws for the entry into force of the agreement on November 30.
  • The pact will stimulate flow of investment, technology and personnel from India to Hong Kong and vice versa.
  • It will prevent double taxation and provide for exchange of information between the two sides.
  • The agreement will also improve transparency in tax matters and will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance.
BRICS leaders declare common stand on WTO reform
  • Leaders of the emerging economies’ bloc BRICS declared their common stand on the reform of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on 30th
  • A communique was issued after Brazilian President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held an informal meeting on the sidelines of G-20 Summit.
  • BRICS countries agreed that full support should be given to the rules-based multilateral trading system represented by the WTO and to ensure transparent, non-discriminatory, open and inclusive international trade.
  • BRICS countries pledged to support the improvement of the WTO, increase its relevance and validity and safeguard the core values and basic principles of the WTO, and agreed that the WTO should embody the interests of all members, developing economies in particular.

December 2

Siu-Ka-Pha Divas observed on December 2
  • Asom Divas, a day to remember the contributions of the first Ahom king Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha, was observed in various places in Assam.
  • Since 1996 December 2 has been celebrated in Assam as the Sukaphaa Divawkh, or Axom Divawkh (Assam Day), to commemorate the advent of the first king of the Ahom kingdom in Assam after his journey over the Patkai Hills.

FACTFILE – Chaolung Sukaphaa (r. 1228–1268)

  • Siu-Ka-Pha was the first Ahom king in medieval Assam, was the founder of the Ahom kingdom.
  • A Tai prince originally from Mong Mao, the kingdom he established in 1228 existed for nearly six hundred years and in the process unified the various indigenous ethnic groups of the region that left a deep impact on the region.
Rajnath Singh to inaugurate Hornbill Festival
  • Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the 19th edition of the Hornbill Festival at Kisama village.
  • Nagaland Governor PB Acharya will be the chief host on the occasion, while US Ambassador to India, Kenneth I Juster, has been invited as the guest of honour.
  • The Nagaland Government has earmarked Rs 5 crore for the festival, which will culminate on December 10. The celebrations and programmes have been scheduled in five districts of the State including Kohima, Dimapur, Mokokchung, Phek and Wokha, she said.
  • The annual festival unites one and all, while promoting the tourism prospects of the State. The festival aims to display the rich traditions and the vibrant culture of Nagaland through colourful performances, crafts, sports, food fairs, games and ceremonies.
  • The heritage village of Kisama has been made a plastic-free zone. The visitor turnout to Kisama stood at 2.43 lakh last year and the number might swell this year.
Kaziranga National Park home to 907 Eastern Swamp Deer
  • During a Census of Eastern Swamp Deer in Kaziranga National Park, physical counting of the species in Kaziranga National Park had put the total population of Eastern Swamp Deer at 907, which is less than the last census figure carried out in 2016, where the total population was 1,148.
  • Last year’s heavy flood in Kaziranga had killed many wild animals, including Eastern Swamp Deer.

FACTFILE – The barasingha or swamp deer

  • The barasingha deer species distributed in the Indian subcontinent.
  • Populations in northern and central India are fragmented, and two isolated populations occur in southwestern Nepal. It is extinct in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
  • The swamp deer differs from all the Indian deer species in that the antlers carry more than three tines.
  • Because of this distinctive character it is designated barasingha, meaning “twelve-tined.”
  • Mature stags have 10 to 14 tines, and some have been known to have up to 20.
  • It is listed on CITES Appendix I. In India, it is included under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
  • It is put under Vulnerable category in IUCN conservation status.
G-20 Summit endorses multilateral trade system and WTO reforms
  • The G-20 Summit concluded on 1st December, with members endorsing the multilateral trading system, and calling for reforms to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
  • International trade and investment are important engines of growth, productivity, innovation, job creation and development.
  • The system is currently falling short of its objectives and there is room for improvement. Therefore support the necessary reform of the WTO to improve its functioning.
  • Signatories to the Paris Agreement, reaffirm that the Paris Agreement is irreversible and commit to its full implementation, reflecting common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
  • The two-day summit discussed issues such as the future of work, infrastructure for development, financial stability, climate sustainability and international trade, among others.
  • India to host G-20 summit in 2022, coinciding with the country’s 75th anniversary of Independence. PM Modi thanked Italy for allowing India to play the host. Italy was to host the international forum in 2022.

FACTFILE – G-20

  • The G-20 is a grouping of the world’s 20 major economies.
  • G-20 members comprise Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the UK and the US. Spain is a permanent guest invitee.
  • Collectively, the G-20 economies account for nearly 90 per cent of the gross world product, 80 per cent of world trade, two-thirds of the world population, and approximately half of the world land area.
DAC approves purchase of BrahMos, armoured vehicles
  • The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the procurement of equipment worth Rs 3,000 crore which included the BrahMos missile for Navy ships and Armoured Recovery Vehicles (ARVs) for the Army’s main battle tank Arjun.
  • The DAC, chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, approved the procurement of the indigenous BrahMos missile for two Indian Navy ships to be built in Russia.
  • The indigenously designed BrahMos missile is a tested and proven supersonic cruise missile and will form the primary weapon on-board these ships.
  • The ARVs to be procured are designed and developed by the Defence Research Development Organisation and would be manufactured by M/S BEML.
  • ARVs ensure efficient and speedy repair and recovery operations during combat.
ASEAN experts to meet on military medicine in Lucknow
  • A four-day meeting of experts in military medicine from ASEAN countries, being co-chaired by India and Myanmar, will be held here from 2nd The objective is to establish better cooperation in medical operations amongst the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries.
  • For civil support by military operations other than war, especially humanitarian assistance and disaster response missions.
  • There will be expert working group on military medicine, 4th bilateral talks between India and Myanmar, a table-top exercise and planning for field training exercises encompassing broad themes.
  • Around 50 delegates from various countries and officers from India’s Army Medical Corps are likely to participate in the event.
  • The event aims to establish preparedness and response mechanisms to manage mass casualties and outbreak of infectious diseases resulting from large-scale disasters as also to facilitate synergy, better understanding, increase capability of the combined operations amongst the Armed Forces of Asean member states and Asean Plus countries.

FACTFILE – ASEAN nations and thier Capital

  1. Nation of Brunei – Bandar Seri Begawan
  2. Cambodia – Phnom Penh
  3. Indonesia – Jakarta
  4. Lao People’s Democratic Republic – Vientiane
  5. Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur
  6. Republic of the Union of Myanmar – Naypyidaw
  7. Republic of the Philippines – Manila     
  8. Republic of Singapore – Singapore
  9. Kingdom of Thailand – Bangkok
  10. Socialist Republic of Vietnam – Hanoi
Govt launches ‘Digital Sky Platform’ online platform for registration of drones
  • The Union Civil Aviation Ministry launched the ‘Digital Sky Platform’ for the registration of drones and their operators. Nano drones in India can start flying legally with immediate effect from 1st December as the Civil Aviation regulations come into force.
  • For drones, operators and pilots are required to register on the Digital Sky Portal. Payments for Unmanned Aerial Operator’s Permit (UAOP) and Unique Identification Numbers (UIN) will be accepted through the Bharat Kosh (bharatkosh.gov.in) portal.
  • To get permissions to fly Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), operators or remote pilots will have to file a flight plan.
  • Flying in the ‘green zones’ will require only intimation of the time and location of the flights via the portal or the app.
  • Permissions will be required for flying in ‘yellow zones’ and flights will not be allowed in the ‘red zones’.
  • The government in August had announced a policy and guidelines for drones designed to open up an array of opportunities in the Indian civil aviation sector.
  • The regulations are intended to enable visual line-of-sight, daytime only and a maximum of 400 feet altitude operations.
  • The regulations list various categories of drones, and all of these except the “nano” type weighing less than 250 gram and those owned by government and intelligence agencies, are to be registered and issued with a Unique Identification Number (UIN).

 

December 2018 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                                                  Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

APSC mains 2018 test series GS & Optional Paper

 

Pages: 1 2 3 4