Assam Current Affairs – November 29 – 30, 2019

Current Affairs Assam – November 29 - 30, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of November 29 – 30, 2019 )

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs          |        Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

November 29, 2019


Manoj Kumar takes over as new Tripura Chief Secretary
  • The Tripura government appointed senior IAS officer Manoj Kumar as the new Chief Secretary.
  • A 1990 batch Tripura cadre IAS officer, and currently Additional Chief Secretary, Electricity, Finance and Forest Departments, Manoj Kumar would succeed Usurupati Venkateswarlu, who is retiring from service on November 30.
  • Manoj Kumar would look after the General Administration (Confidential and Cabinet, Personnel and training), Finance and Home (excluding Jail and Fire Service) Departments.

FACTFILE – Chief Secretary in States/UTs

  • The post of Chief Secretary is the senior-most position held in the civil services of the states and union territories of India. The position is a cadre post for the Indian Administrative Service.
  • Chief Secretaries are members of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) who are the administrative head of state governments. A Chief Secretary functions as the central point of interdepartmental coordination at the departmental level and is classified as being in the Apex Grade.
  • Chief Secretary is considered to be the Chief Executive of the state government and considered to be ‘a linchpin’ in the administration.
  • Chief Secretary of the state also acts as the ex-officio Chairman of the State Civil Service Board, which recommends transfer/postings of officers of All India Services and State Civil Services in the state.
  • Chief Secretaries are chosen by the state’s Chief Minister.
  • State Chief Secretaries are IAS officers generally equivalent in rank to a Secretary to Government of India and are placed 23rd on Indian Order of Precedence.

 Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan introduced the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Bill, 2019
  • Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan introduced the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha.
  • The Bill, which will replace the ordinance promulgated in September, has already received the Lok Sabha”s approval.
  • Moving the the Health Minister said it would also ban online sales and advertising of e-cigarettes.
  • The Bill is about prohibiting all commercial operations for the trade of e-cigarettes, which includes manufacturing, production, import, export, distribution, sale and advertising including online sales and advertising.

Uddhav Thackeray sworn-in as the CM of Maharashtra
  • Shiv Sena President Uddhav B. Thackeray sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra at a function held in Shivaji Park. Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari administered the oath of office and secrecy to Thackeray.
  • Thackeray is the third from the Shiv Sena to be Chief Minister after Manohar Joshi and Narayan Rane in the late 1990s.

Bill to regularise unauthorized colonies in Delhi passed in LS
  • A Bill to regularize Delhi’s 1,731 unauthorised colonies was passed in the Lok Sabha with voice vote to benefit over 40 lakh residents who have been residing in such colonies for years.
  • The Bill will provide special provision for the national capital by recognising the property rights of ownership or transfer or mortgage in favour of residents of such colonies who are possessing properties on the basis of power of attorney, agreement to sale, will, possession letter, or any other documents, including documents evidencing payment of consideration.
  • The Bill seeks to levy stamp duty and registration charges on the amount mentioned in the conveyance deed or authorisation slip issued by the Delhi Development Authority and non-payment of any stamp duty and registration charges on any previous sale transactions made prior to the last transaction.

The Rajya Sabha passed the Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2019
  • The Rajya Sabha passed the Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2019 by voice vote. Besides raising the monetary limit in collections, the Bill also provides for increasing commission for the person managing the fund to 7 per cent from 5 per cent.
  • As per the bill, the collection limit for individuals has been raised to Rs 3 lakh, up from the present Rs 1 lakh. For firms, the limit would be 18 lakhs from Rs 6 lakh now.
  • Introducing the bill Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur said that the collection limit has been raised in view of inflation rate since 2001.
  • The Chit Fund Act, 1982 was enacted to provide for regulation of chit funds which have conventionally satisfied the financial needs of the low income households.

Industrial Relations Code bill introduced in LS
  • The Central government introduced the Industrial Relations Code Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier had approved the Industrial Relations Code Bill, which is the third code under labour reforms.
  • The Bill provides for setting up of a two-member tribunal (in place of one-member), thus introducing a concept that some of the important cases will be adjudicated jointly and the rest by a single-member resulting in speedier disposal of cases.
  • It also provides for imparting flexibility to the exit provisions relating to retrenchment and others, for which the threshold for prior approval of appropriate government has been kept unchanged at 100 employees, but added a provision for changing such number of employees through notification.
  • The Bill also provides for definition of Fixed Term Employment and that it would not lead to any notice period and payment of compensation on retrenchment excluded.
  • It also provides for vesting of powers with the government officers for adjudication of disputes involving penalty as fines thereby lessening the burden on tribunals.

November 30, 2019 


 Water conservation projects commissioned in Hailakandi
  • Under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, water conservation projects will be set up in several schools in Hailakandi district of Barak Valley.
  • Deputy Commissioner, Keerthi Jalli commissioned such projects in two educational institutions under the Katlicherra education block.
  • Inaugurating the first water conservation project at Sahabad ME Madrassa, Deputy Commissioner Jalli called upon the students to conserve water and make judicious use of the precious resource at school and at home.

Biren Singha gets Guruji Adya Sarma award
  • The Guruji Adya Sarma Award 2019 was presented to renowned sculptor Biren Singha at a function held at the Nalbari Harimandir premises.
  • The award comprising Rs 25,000 in cash, a memento, citation, sarai, cheleng sador, japi, etc.was presented by Nalbari Deputy Commissioner Bharat Bhusan Dev Choudhury.
  • Mobile theatre group Brindaban Theatre in collaboration with Nalbari Harimandir Committee presents the award every year.

The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019 moved in Lok Sabha
  • The government in the Lok Sabha moved a Bill for rationalising and facilitating the licensing procedures for use of firearms by individuals as well as to curb crimes committed by using illegal firearms and provide effective deterrence against violation of law.
  • The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which seeks amendment to the Arms Act, 1959, provides for enhancement of period of arms licence from three years to five years and also to issue arms licence in electronic form.
  • Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy, while introducing the Bill, said the move is to deal with the future issues as the fire power and sophistication of illegal firearms have increased over the years.
  • The trans-border dimensions of illegal arms trafficking are causing threat to internal security.
  • To prevent the usage of illicit firearms so trafficked has also become a prime concern.
  • To effectively curb crimes related to or committed by using illegal firearms and to provide effective deterrence against violation of law, there is an urgent need to strengthen the existing legislative framework by making appropriate amendments in the Arms Act, 1959.
  • The Bill seeks to enhance punishment for existing offences such as illegal manufacture, sale, transfer; illegal acquiring, possessing or carrying prohibited arms or prohibited ammunition; and illegal manufacture, sale, transfer, conversion, import, export, of firearms.
  • The Arms Act, 1959, which was enacted to consolidate and amend the law relating to arms and ammunition, and the rules made thereunder regulate the acquisition, possession, use, manufacture, transfer, sale, transport, export and import of arms and ammunition and punishment for contravention in order to curb illegal weapons and violence stemming from them.

Indian-Origin Researcher turns banana plant into packaging material
  • An Indian-origin researcher-led team at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) announced it has discovered a novel way to turn banana plantation waste into packaging material that is not only biodegradable but also recyclable.
  • Associate Professor Jayashree Arcot and Professor Martina Stenzel looked at ways to convert agricultural waste into something that could value-add to the industry it came from, while potentially solving problems for another.
  • Using a reliable supply of pseudostem material from banana plants grown at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, the duo set to work in extracting cellulose to test its suitability as a packaging alternative.
  • The team brought the pseudostem into the lab and chopped it into pieces, dried it at very low temperatures in a drying oven, and then milled it into a very fine powder.
  • The team then took this powder and washed it with a very soft chemical treatment.
  • When processed, the material has a consistency similar to baking paper.
  • Depending on the intended thickness, the material could be used in a number of different formats in food packaging.
  • The material is also recyclable. Tests with food have proved that it poses no contamination risks.

Toshiba ink EoI with Kerala Govt for making lithium-ion batteries
  • The Toshiba Group signed an Expression of Interest with the Kerala government for technology transfer and manufacturing lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries for electric vehicles.
  • The agreement is an outcome of the Japan visit by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the head of a high-level state delegation and was signed in Tokyo at the investment seminar organised in the Japanese capital.
  • Vijayan addressed the Kerala State Investment Promotion Seminar organised with the participation of 150 major Japanese investors at the Indian Embassy, Tokyo.

 

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs          |        Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

Assam Current Affairs –November 22 – 28, 2019

Current Affairs Assam – November 22 - 28, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of November 22 – 28, 2019 )

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs          |        Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

November 22, 2019


Assam CM inaugurated several infrastructure projects in Goalpara
  • CM Sonowal laid foundation stones of community radio station at Goalpara College to be set up by the district administration and also a project under City Infra Development Fund (CIDF). It includes schemes like development of Bihutoli field, construction of approach road of KV, Bhalukdubi and widening and improvement of the road from ASTC Point to Boro Bazar.
  • Construction of swimming pool and multipurpose indoor stadium at the DN Singha Stadium,Golapara and renovation of the Community Centre at Bapujinagar. Inaugurated the new police station at Agia under the Mission for Overall Improvement of Thana for Responsive Image (MOITRI).
  • Angwadi Model Centre at Budhipara which will have all the composite facilities and the first in the state. Smart Class and Hanging Library at Baladmari High School, solarisation of all the health and wellness centres in the district and that of the plastic shredder machine under Goalpara Municipal Board,GOAL-MART.
  • E-commerce website of the district administration, project under RIDF for construction of RCC bridge at 13 locations and then one-stop centre to support women in distress. A guest house for ASHA workers at Lakhipur, and ceremonial distribution of power tillers under Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI).

Bolo App launched in Hailakandi
  • Bolo App, an effective tool for enhancing learning, has been installed and activated on the smart phones of more than 100 teachers in Hailakandi district.
  • Cluster Resource Centre Coordinators (CRCCs) of Mohanpur, West Mohanpur and Mohanpur Burnie Brase 1 launched the campaign ‘Bolo App on every smart phone’ and invited the teachers with smart phones to attend the programme held at Premlochan HS School at Mohanpur.
  • Bolo is speech-based app designed to help elementary grade kids learn to read – anytime, anywhere – just using their voice.
  • Designed for primary and upper primary grade children, Bolo helps to improve their reading skills, by encouraging them to read aloud and giving them instant feedback – even when completely offline.
  • Bolo listens to what your children read, encourages them when they read well and helps them when they get stuck – just like a real reading tutor.
  • Children can also play interesting word games and earn in-app awards, helping reading become both fun and a daily habit.
  • Multiple children can use the same app, and track their progress separately. Over time the difficulty level of recommended stories will adjust to their reading skills.

Odisha signs MoUs to improve urban service delivery system
  • The Odisha government signed three Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) to transform urban service delivery system in the state.
  • The Housing and Urban Development department signed MoUs with e-gov Foundation, Janagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, and Indian Heritage Cities Network Foundation.
  • The E-gov foundation of Nandan Nilekani and Srikanth Nadhamuni will provide a full stack of municipal services applications.
  • These include a feature-rich dashboard portal for all urban local bodies (ULBs), public grievance management system, finance and accounting, property tax management, water and sewerage system, trade licence system, and online building plan approval system.
  • Janagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy of Ramesh and Swathi Ramanathan will undertake a transformative reform of property taxation in ULBs resulting in growth in revenue of ULBs and investment in better service and infrastructure.
  • The Indian Heritage Cities Network foundation entered into an MoU with the Housing and Urban Development and Tourism departments for promotion of heritage-based sustainable development.

Andhra Pradesh Govt has roped in IIM Ahmedabad to work with the ACB
  • Andhra Pradesh has roped in Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad) to work with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
  • IIM (A) professor Sundaravalli Narayana Swamy and ACB chief Viswajit on Thursday signed an agreement to work in coordination to identify corruption in high places.
  • After a detailed study, they will submit a report to the government by February third week next year.
  • The panel will frame guidelines to curb corruption right from the village level to all the government departments. A detailed study of the functioning of government departments, the income and expenditure needed for the governance would be taken up. The lacunae in the present governance would be identified and corrective measures suggested.
  • Similarly, a study would be conducted for the proper utilization of the existing resources, increasing the quality of governance and to achieve positive results.


November 23, 2019


 4th India International Cherry Blossom Festival 2019 at Shillong 
  • The 4th edition of India International Cherry Blossom Festival, 2019 was celebrated in Shillong, Meghalaya from 13 to 16 November 2019. The festival is a great example of how natural resources and sustainable tourism can be utilised in an effective manner and create value of something which already exists.
  • The festival celebrates the unique autumn flowering of Himalayan Cherry Blossoms with several cultural events. With the annual festival the state government seeks to focus on Meghalaya’s natural strength such environment and beautiful landscape to enhance the experience of tourists.
  • It was organized to celebrate the mass flowering of autumn Himalayan Cherry Blossoms with several cultural events in Shillong.
  • This year the Republic of Korea was the partner country in the festival. The festival was thus visited by ambassador of South Korea and also showcased stalls with state’s food, wine and crafts alongside several Korean Cultural events, including K-Pop concert and stalls featuring Korean Cuisine and Educational Opportunities at South Korea.
  • Dinabandhu Sahoo, the brain behind Cherry Blossom Festival however highlighted that with every edition of the festival, the footfall of tourists visiting it has increased.

Central Govt plans rail link with NE state capitals
  • The Centre said it has firmed up plans to connect the capitals of the northeastern states (except Sikkim) with the Indian Railway network.
  • The capitals of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura have been connected by Broad Gauge (BG) network. Emphasis has been laid by the Centre during the last five years on quick execution of rail infrastructure projects.
  • The average annual expenditure in New Line, Gauge Conversion and Doubling infrastructure projects during 2014-19 was Rs 26,022 crore per year as against Rs 11,527 crore per year during 2009-14, which is around 126 per cent more than during 2009-14.
  • Similarly, the average budget allotment per year for NE States was Rs 2,122 crore per year during 2009-14. However, it increased by 161 per cent to Rs 5,531 crore per year for this region during 2014-19.
  • In Arunachal Pradesh, a BG railway line was commissioned in February 2015 up to Naharlagun and the first Broad Gauge train was started on February 20, 2015, from Naharlagun (Itanagar) to New Delhi.
  • The work of the Bogibeel Bridge on the Brahmaputra river was completed in 2018 leading to further reduction of rail travel distance from Dibrugarh to Naharlagun by 705 km.
  • In some states, the progress of new line projects of capital connectivity has been affected mainly due to delay in land acquisition and law and order issues. All these capital connectivity projects being in hilly terrain of the Himalayas involve a large number of tunnels and major bridges in a very challenging geological environment.
  • Works on new BG lines have been taken up by the Railways through the Government of India fund to connect the remaining capitals of NE states including Meghalaya (Shillong), Manipur (Imphal), Nagaland (Kohima) and Mizoram (Aizawl).

Prabhat Jha moved Bill to make cleanliness a fundamental duty
  • Prabhat Jha moved the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (amendment of article 51A) in the Upper House seeking to make cleanliness a fundamental duty and called for a mass movement to propagate the message of Clean India.
  • Jha demanded that cleanliness be made a fundamental duty under Article 51A of the Constitution. Swachh Bharat mission should be a part of the fundamental duties and for that there is a need to amend the Constitution. It should be made a national campaign.

Defence  Ministry plans product testing facilities for MSMEs
  • The Ministry of Defence plans to set up 6-8 product testing facilities to enable the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) to test their products for defence supplies.
  • The government has allocated about Rs 400 crore for this scheme whereby it would provide a grant-in-aid of up to 75 per cent of the cost of equipment for the product testing facility.
  • The balance 25 per cent has to be brought in by a consortium of private investors. The product test facility will be a special purpose vehicle (SPV).
  • The test facilities are to come up in the two defence corridors planned in the country, one facility outside the defence corridor may come up early in order the meet the demand.

Scientists developed new material that turns toxic air pollutant into industrial chemical
  • An international team of scientists has developed a new material that can capture a toxic pollutant produced by burning fossil fuels and convert it into useful industrial chemicals using only water and air.
  • The technology could lead to air pollution control and help remedy the negative impact nitrogen dioxide has on the environment.
  • The metal-organic framework (MOF) material provides a selective, fully reversible and repeatable capability to capture nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a toxic air pollutant produced particularly by diesel and bio-fuel use.
  • The NO2 can then be easily converted into nitric acid, a multi-billion dollar industry with uses including, agricultural fertiliser for crops; rocket propellant and nylon.
  • MOFs are tiny three-dimensional structures which are porous and can trap gasses inside, acting like cages.
  • The material, named MFM-520, can capture nitrogen dioxide at ambient pressures and temperatures even at low concentrations and during flow in the presence of moisture, sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide.
  • The team also used the National Service for Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy at Manchester to study the mechanism of adsorption of nitrogen dioxide in MFM-520.

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs          |        Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz


November 24, 2019


 Union Cabinet approveds strategic disinvestment in five PSUs
  • Union Cabinet approved strategic disinvestment in five PSUs, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), Container Corporation of India (CONCOR), THDC India Ltd and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO). The government will also give up the management control in these companies.
  • Two of the PSUs under the strategic disinvestment plan, THDC and NEEPCO, will be taken over by another state-run power major, NTPC.
  • The government would lower its stake below 51 per cent in select PSUs while retaining their management control. The decision to bring down Centre”s stake will be taken on a case-to-case basis.

FACTFILE – Disinvestment in PSUs

  • Disinvestment in Public sector units in India, is process of public asset sales by President of India on behalf of Govt of India.
  • There were 331 CPSEs in 2017-18, out of which 257 were in operation. Rest (74) of the CPSEs were under construction.
  • As in need of Economic Liberalism and Infrastructure development, in Union Budget of India Total Expenditure of Government of India increased from ₹ 1,13,422 crore (1991-92) to ₹ 21,46,735 Crore(2017-18). To raise the funds partially for these Expenditures and also to minimize fiscal deficits in union budgets, Indian Government started divestment in public sector undertakings. Conceding to demands of privatization and with tough resistance from labour unions, government of India is slowly divesting from PSUs.
  • Major divestment steps were taken in past by the government when they made four strategic disinvestment’s – in Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO) and Hindustan Zinc, Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited and VSNL.
  • In budgetary announcement of financial year 2017-18 The Finance Minister noted that the government initiated strategic disinvestment in 24 PSUs, including Air India, this fiscal.
  • Since financial year 1991-92 to 2017-18 government led by political parties sold total public assets of ₹ 3,47,439 Crore. In past recent years Public sector undertaking units performed well as compared to other private competitors and paid huge dividends to government.

 G20 foreign ministers commit to WTO reforms
  • G20 foreign ministers have pledged to push for reforms in the World Trade Organization (WTO) during a meeting in the Japanese city of Nagoya.
  • The announcement was made by Japan”s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on the agreements reached at the event.
  • The G20 shared the view that the WTO needed to be reformed to be able to address current problems.
  • WTO reforms being contemplated included the possibility of improving mechanisms for resolving trade disputes.
  • Motegi also reflected on the need to conclude negotiations for establishing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership for Asia and Oceania with the agreement of 16 countries that have promoted the initiative since its inception.
  • Motegi said the RCEP was one of the initiatives that should be defended to strengthen global free trade.
  • The G20, a forum initially promoted by finance and central bank officials, brings together the richest countries and the world”s major emerging economies in a common platform.

AIIA has inked a MoU with Western Sydney University
  • The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Western Sydney University, Australia aimed at promoting collaboration in research and developing guidelines for integrating Ayurveda principles with modern medicine.
  • All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) signed the MoU on Friday during the visit of the delegation led by Dan Tehan, Minister for Education, Australian government.
  • The memorandum was agreed and exchanged on the occasion of the event ”India- Australia International Education and Research Workshop” held at the Ambedkar International Centre.
  • Complementing the traditional Ayurveda medicine with conventional concepts of modern medicine is expected in generating scientific evidences that further help in contributing to the global healthcare.
  • Both institutions are committed to take the collaboration to the next higher level by identifying specific areas for collaboration in education, research and practices of traditional medicine while ensuring the quality standards and also by encouraging investment in traditional medicine related infrastructure.

President of India awarded the President’s Colour to Naval Academy
  • President Ram Nath Kovind awarded the President’s Colour, the highest honour that is bestowed upon a military unit, to the Indian Naval Academy in Ezhimala, Kannur in Kerala.
  • The President mentioned that our Armed forces are completely equipped to face any kind of challenges be it in conventional or in the asymmetric domain.
  • He urged the Naval officers to fully utilize the training and be prepared to deliver in all situations for the country.
  • He complimented the commandants, instructors and officers involved in training for producing multi-faceted officers for Indian Navy.
  • President received the Guard of honour from the Academy Cadets.
  • Kerala Governor Arif Muhammed Khan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, and State Minister, Kadamkampally Surendran graced the occasion.

 Karnataka Govt felicitates 7 Bengaluru-founded Unicorns
  • The Karnataka government awarded seven city-founded Unicorns as part of Bengaluru Impact Awards at the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2019.
  • Bengaluru Impact Award winning Unicorns include Ola, MuSigma, Big Basket, Swiggy, InMobi, Quikr and Flipkart.
  • The awards were presented by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan, Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, Additional Chief Secretary, department of IT, BT and S& T E.V. Ramana Reddy and Director of the same department of IT, BT and S& T Prasanth Kumar Mishra.


November 25, 2019


 Assam is the Most Improved state in Economy and Overall category in the India Today State of the States Conclave 2019
  • The annual ‘India Today State of the States Conclave and Awards – 2019’ has adjudged Assam in the ‘Most Improved Big State – Overall’ and ‘Most Improved Big State for Economy’ categories.
  • Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary received both the awards from Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Information and Broadcasting in New Delhi.
  • The India Today ‘State of the States’ study is an attempt to find out which of India’s States offers its citizens the best opportunities, both at work and outside.
  • The categories based on which the States are judged include economy, agriculture, education, healthcare, infrastructure, inclusive development, law and order, governance, entrepreneurship, environment and cleanliness.

India, Afghanistan exchanges treaty over Extradition
  • India and Afghanistan exchanged the instruments of ratification of their bilateral extradition treaty.
  • The instrument of ratification of Extradition Treaty between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Republic of India, approved and ratified by the relevant authorities of the two governments.
  • The agreement was signed by the authorized representatives of the two countries in New Delhi in September 2019.

50th conference of Governors
  • Five groups of Governors submitted their reports to President Ram Nath Kovind on issues related to tribal welfare, water, agriculture, higher education and ease of living, and identified actionable points in which they can play a facilitating role.
  • These reports were submitted during the 50th conference of Governors which concluded at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The conference took keen interest in tribal welfare issue and pointed out that policies for tribal uplift had to be tailored in accordance with local requirements.
  • Kovind said that the discussions held by Governors and Lt. Governors proved to be a fruitful exercise. On observing November 26 as the 70th anniversary of Indian Constitution, he said a campaign will be launched to create awareness about fundamental duties on the occasion.
  • It is the fundamental duty of every citizen to protect the natural environment including water resources like forests, lakes and rivers. It is also a constitutional duty to continuously strive for excellence in all areas for the progress of the country.
  • Individual and collective efforts for excellence in the areas of higher education, agriculture, inclusive growth and governance will give impetus to public welfare.

 India ranked 44th in Nomura’s Food Vulnerability Index
  • According to a new report by Nomura Global Market Research, India is ranked 44 out of 110 countries in Nomura’s Food Vulnerability Index (NFVI). India has been ranked 44 out of 110 countries.
  • Nomura’s Food Vulnerability Index (NFVI) ranks countries on the basis of their exposure to large swings in food prices.
  • NFVI has three components:
    1. country’s GDP per person,
    2. the share of food in household consumption and
    3. the net food imports.
  • Lower per capita GDP, higher share of food in household consumption and high net food imports would make a country more vulnerable to spikes in food prices.
  • The 50 countries most vulnerable to food price surges in the coming months largely belong to the Emerging Market group. The top 50 together account for almost 60 per cent of the global population.
  • Nomura is an Asia-headquartered financial services group with an integrated global network spanning over 30 countries.

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs          |        Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz


November 26, 2019


 Seng Kut Snem Festival celebrated in Meghalaya
  • The annual festival of the Khasi community, Seng Kut Snem, was celebrated at Shillong with traditional gaiety and fervour.
  • The yearend festival marks the Seng Khasi movement, in which the local people of the Khasi-Jaintia Hills region launched a stir against British atrocities on the indigenous way of life. As part of the movement, 16 young men formed an organisation called the Khasi Young Men’s Association on November 23, 1899 to preserve and safeguard the indigenous way of life, also known as ‘Niam Trai Niam Tre’.
  • To commemorate the first anniversary of the movement in 1900, the Seng Kut Snem was celebrated and this has continued till date to remind the people of the movement and its objectives.
  • The festival is also a form of community prayer for protection of the distinct identity of the Khasi race.

 Commonwealth sign pact to reduce violence against women
  • The Commonwealth has announced a new partnership designed to reduce domestic violence in member countries, including India.
  • Secretary-General Patricia Scotland signed a memorandum of understanding with the NO MORE Foundation, a global movement of 1,400 allied organisations and 40 international chapters working together to stop and prevent domestic violence and sexual assault.
  • The two parties have agreed to work together to implement initiatives that work on the prevention of domestic violence and sexual abuse as part of wider efforts to achieve the 2030 sustainable development goals.
  • The partnership is designed to help member countries record accurate data on the prevalence of violence, deliver grassroots projects, train community leaders, educate bystanders” responses and provide awareness resources.
  • The partnership was announced at an event hosted at Commonwealth headquarters in London, to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

 Andhra Pradesh launches helpline for complaints against corruption
  • Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, launched the Citizens’ Help Centre to register complaints of bribery in government offices and also launched a citizens’ helpline number 14400. Any citizen can call on this toll-free number to make complaints about corruption in government offices.
  • The help centre has been launched in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad. It will register complaints and complete the investigation in 15-30 days.
  • The IIM and the ACB signed an agreement to work in coordination to identify corruption in high places. After a detailed study, they will submit a report to the government by February third week.

 70th Constitution Day celebrated on 26 November
  • To commemorate the 70th Constitution Day, President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated a digital exhibition through videoconferencing from the Central Hall of Parliament.
  • The function, organised to commemorate the Constitution Day, attended by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and other dignitaries.
  • The Constitution Day is also celebrated as National Law Day (Samvidhan Diwas) in India. It is celebrated on November 26 every year to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India.
  • On November 26, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India formally adopted the Constitution of India. It came into force on January 26, 1950.
  • The Government of India declared 26 November as Constitution Day on 19 November 2015 by a gazette notification. PM Narendra Modi made the declaration on 11 October 2015 while laying the foundation stone of the B. R. Ambedkar’s Statue of Equality memorial in Mumbai.

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry signs MoAs with 6 states on Light House Projects
  • Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri signed the memoranda of agreement (MoAs) for Light House Projects (LHPs) with Gujarat, Jharkhand, MP, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and UP government.
  • Puri also launched a web portal for the CLSS (credit-linked subsidy scheme) Awas Portal (CLAP), saying it would help stakeholders to work in synergy for on-time release of subsidy to beneficiaries.
  • To meet the demand for over 10 million houses by 2022, the central government had launched the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban in June 2015.
  • For LHPs, the Ministry has introduced a Rs 2 lakh per house technology innovation grant, which is over and above the existing Rs 1.5 lakh per house under PMAY(U).
  • The Ministry developed a web-based real-time monitoring system called CLAP in which all stakeholders, like MoHUA, CNAs, PLIs and beneficiaries, had been integrated.

Special Protection Group (SPG) Amendment Bill introduced in Lok Sabha
  • The Centre introduced the Special Protection Group (SPG) Bill, 2019, in Lok Sabha to change the law that will entitle only the Prime Minister to security services from the elite SPG personnel and former Prime Minister only for a year after he demits office.
  • Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy introduced the Bill which seeks amendment to the Special Protection Group Act, 1988 which provides for the constitution and regulation of an armed force of the Union for providing “proximate security” to the Prime Minister and former Prime Ministers and members of their immediate families and for matters connected therewith.
  • At present, the law allows the SPG to protect former Prime Ministers and their families for a period of 10 years after the end of term. Additionally, it leaves the scope for an extension of the cover beyond ten years in case the perceived threats justify it.

FACTFILE – Special Protection Group (SPG)

  • The Indian Special Protection Group (SPG) is a special force for providing proximate security to the Prime Minister of India and members of their immediate families wherever in the world they are.
  • The SPG was set up in 1985 after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, on the recommendation of the Birbal Nath Committee for raising a Special Protection Unit (SPU).
  • Parliament passed the SPG Act in 1988, dedicating the group to protecting the Prime Minister. At the time, the Act did not include former Prime Ministers. This Act was earlier amended in 1991, 1994 and 1999.
  • Arun Kumar Sinha, IPS is the Director of SPG.
  • 3000 active personnel are active in SPG.


November 27, 2019


 Guwahati to host 65th Filmfare Awards show
  • The Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) inked a memorandum of understanding with the Times Group for organising the 65th Filmfare Awards.
  • The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Bennett Coleman and Company Limited managing director Vineet Jain.
  • Fifty per cent of the proceeds from sale of tickets for the awards show would be given to the Chief Minister’s relief fund.
  • The awards show is being organised to promote Assam tourism in the world encashing the popularity of Bollywood and a huge global reach of the Filmfare award show to nearly two billion people. This is the first time the main Filmfare awards show is being held outside Mumbai.

India’s PSLV-C47 successfully launched Cartosat-3
  • India’s PSLV-C47 successfully launched Cartosat-3 and 13 commercial nanosatellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. 
  • PSLV-C46 was the 74th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota. This is the 21st flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration.
  • Cartosat-3 satellite is a third generation agile advanced satellite having high resolution imaging capability.
  • 13 3U cubesats including twelve SuperDoves by Planet Labs and one Meshbed by Analytical Space of United States from USA were also successfully injected into designated orbit. These satellites were launched under commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
  • India successfully placed into orbit its own earth observation satellite Cartosat-3 and 13 American nano satellites in a text book style.
  • India crossed the milestone of putting into orbit 300 foreign satellites. By putting the 13 American nano satellites into orbit.

IIT-K partners TalentSprint for cybersecurity course
  • IIT-Kanpur has partnered TalentSprint, a Hyderabad-based Ed-Tech firm to undertake an advanced certification programme in cybersecurity and cyber defence.
  • The collaboration has been designed for aspiring professionals who are keen to explore the latest trends in cybersecurity technologies.
  • The IIT-Kanpur(IIT-K) has already taken a lead in cybersecurity by setting up the Interdisciplinary Centre for Cyber Security and Cyber Defence of Critical Infrastructures (C3i).
  • The mission and vision of C3i is to do research, education, training, and to spawn startups to create technological safeguards and to protect critical infrastructure.
  • The centre, which is headed by Prof Sandeep Shukla and Prof Manindra Agarwal, will engage with international partners from Israel and the USA in developing research and technology exchange, student training, as well as hosting conferences, workshops, and cyber security competitions to create awareness.

LS passes bill to declare four NIDs in Assam, Andhra Pradesh, MP and Haryana as Institutions of National Importance
  • The Lok Sabha unanimously passed the National Institute of Design (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which declares the four National Institutes of Design (NID) in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Haryana as institutions of national importance.
  • These institutes are currently registered as Societies under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and do not have the power to grant degrees or diplomas. On being declared institutions of national importance, they will be able to grant degrees and diplomas.
  • The Bill, which seeks amendment in the National Institute of Design Act, 2014, will help these four NID institutes to become socially inclusive and address the needs of design in various sectors including agriculture, health care, and transportation.

 FACTFILE – The National Institute of Design (NID)

  • NID is a design schools located in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Gandhinagar. It has 3 active campuses, Main Campus-Ahmedabad, Post Graduate Campus – Gandhinagar and the third one is R&D Campus – Bengaluru.
  • NID is recognised by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research under Ministry of Science and Technology, government of India, as a scientific and industrial design research organisation.
  • NID is accorded as “Institute of National Importance” by Act of Parliament, under the National Institute of Design Act, 2014.
  • Other NIDs are established by Government of India from 2015 onward at Vijayawada, Jorhat, Kurukshetra and Bhopal.

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs          |        Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz


November 28, 2019


 Assam’s Dr Prerana Keshan awarded ‘Wonder Fogsian’ award
  • Dr Prerana Keshan, a gynaecologist of Tinsukia was awarded with the ‘Wonder Fogsian’ award in recognition of her exemplary efforts towards uplift of women’s health in India.
  • She received the award from former Miss World Diana Heyden at the World Conference on Conception to Delivery held at the St Regis Hotel and Resorts Mumbai.
  • FOGSI is the biggest professional body for gynaecologists in India with Dr Nandita Palshetkar as the president.

Indian Army successfully test fires Spike anti-tank missiles
  • The Indian Army has successfully test fired two Spike long-range anti-tank missiles at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh.
  • Spike is a fourth generation missile which can engage any target with precision at ranges up to 4 km.
  • The Spike missile was the only one to qualify after going through a complex procurement process.
  • To overcome the critical capability void, the Indian Army procured a limited quantity of Spike LR missiles to meet the urgent operational requirement.

Union Cabinet extended term of 15th Finance Commission
  • Its term was scheduled to end on November 30.
  • Post the extension, the Commission will submit two reports, the first for financial year 2020-21 as well as the final report for financial years 2021-22 to 2025-26.
  • The extension of the term will enable the Commission to examine various comparable estimates for financial projections in view of reforms and the new realities, to finalise its recommendations for the period 2020-2026.

FACTFILE – The Fifteenth Finance Commission

  • The Fifteenth Finance Commission is an Indian Finance Commission constituted in November 2017 and is to give recommendations for devolution of taxes and other fiscal matters for five fiscal years, commencing 1 April 2020.
  • The commission’s chairman is N. K. Singh, with its full-time members being Ajay Narayan Jha, Ashok Lahiri and Anoop Singh.
  • In addition, the commission also has Ramesh Chand as part-time member.

Union Cabinet nod to increase authorised capital of FCI to Rs.10,000 crore
  • The Cabinet approved the proposal to increase the authorised capital of Food Corporation of India (FCI) to Rs.10,000 crore from it’s current authorised capital of FCI is Rs 3,500 crore.
  • With the increase of authorised capital, additional equity capital can be infused in FCI through the Union Budget to fund the foodgrains stock perpetually held by FCI.
  • This will reduce the borrowings of the FCI, save its interest cost and reduce food subsidy in consequence.
  • FCI operations require maintaining perpetual stock of foodgrains which needs to be funded by the Centre through equity or long term loans.

FACTFILE – The Food Corporation of India

  • Food Corporation of India is an organization created and run by the Government of India and also run by state Governments. It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Govt. of India.
  • The Food Corporation of India (FCI) was set up on 14 January 1965 having its first District Office at Thanjavur – rice bowl of Tamil Nadu – and headquarters at Chennai, later this was moved to New Delhi. It also has regional centers in the capitals of the states.

IIT-Mandi develops device to screen cervical cancer
  • Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi, have developed an artificial intelligence-powered point-of-care device to screen with high accuracy cervical cancer cases by analysing microscopy images.
  • The project has been taken up in collaboration with Aindra Systems, Bengaluru.
  • The research team comprised Anil Sao and Arnav Bhavsar, Associate Professors, School of Computing and Electrical Engineering, and Srishti Gautam and Krati Gupta.
  • Cervical cancer is among the deadliest forms of cancer, and early detection and treatment are vital for the patient.
  • They have applied for international patent for the device and algorithm in 2016.
  • The prototype of device is undergoing clinical trial at Kidwai Memorial Hospital, Bengaluru; Manipal Hospital, Karnataka; and Raja Rajeswari Medical College and Hospital, Bengaluru.
  • The accuracy of the prototypes has been around 88 per cent.

Scientists develop bacteria which ‘eat’ Carbon Dioxide
  • Israeli researchers have developed bacteria fed only with carbon dioxide, these bacteria, which build the entire biomass of their body from the carbon in the air, may help develop future technologies that reduce greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere and fight global warming.
  • These bacteria were completely weaned off sugar, after a nearly decade-long process.
  • The Israeli scientists have been able to “reprogram” E.coli bacteria, which consume sugars and release carbon dioxide, so they use carbon dioxide from the environment and produce the sugars they need to build their body.
  • The researchers mapped the genes that are essential to this process and added some of them to the bacteria genome in their lab. The researchers believe that the “healthy” habits of these bacteria may prove to be mostly healthy for Earth.

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs          |        Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

Assam Current Affairs –November 15 – 21, 2019

Current Affairs Assam – November 15 - 21, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of November 15 – 21, 2019 )

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs          |        Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

November 15, 2019


Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal Sonowal launches app ‘Shishu Suraksha’ for securing child rights
  • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched a mobile app ”Shishu Suraksha” of the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, which is expected to help securing the rights of children.
  • Remembering the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, on his birth anniversary, which is also observed as Children”s Day across the country.
  • Sonowal urged the society to put emphasis on the holistic development of children, who will carry forward the society.
  • Calling on the people to sustain the qualities of humanity, empathy and respect in the society, Sonowal underlined the importance of keeping the children away from superstitions and dogmas by instilling a scientific temperament in them.

Children design postage stamps on child rights
  • Two postage stamps touching of the theme of child rights, designed by Indian children as part of a UNICEF competition, were released on the occasion of Children’s Day in India.
  • The top two winners, who will receive Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively, were selected out of over 14,000 entries and were announced by the Department of Posts and UNICEF.
  • Nidhi Rahul Mhatre, 15, from Maharashtra and Vibhushi Agarwal, 12, from Uttar Pradesh. The winners, along with other runners-up, will be awarded at a national event on November 20, World Children’s Day.

MHA appoints 2 advisors to assist J&K Lt Governor
  • The Ministry of Home Affairs has appointed two advisors to assist the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The two are retired IAS officer K.K. Sharma and former IPS officer Farooq Khan.
  • An IAS officer of 1983 batch, Sharma retired as the Secretary Higher Education in the Union ministry of Human Resources Development in February last year.
  • Farooq Ahmad Khan, an IPS officer of 1994 batch, was appointed as advisor to then J& K Governor Satya Pal Malik after being shifted from Lakshawdeep, where he served as administrator.
  • He was instrumental in creation of the Special Task Force, J& K police”s anti-militancy wing, in 1994-95 when the erstwhile State was under President”s rule.

Andhra Pradesh launches new scheme to upgrade government schools
  • Andhra Pradesh state government launched a new programme to revamp Government schools by providing better infrastructure and amenities at a cost of Rs 12,000 crore.
  • Under the scheme ”Mana Badi Nadu Nedu” (our school then and now), 45,000 government-run schools will undergo a complete makeover in the next three years, bringing them on par with or even better than the ones in private and corporate sectors.
  • The programme, launched by Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at Ongole on Children”s Day, gives a pictorial view of schools showing how they look now and how they will look after implementing the scheme.
  • Taking nine parameters into consideration – provision of lights, fans, blackboards, furniture and compound wall, construction of toilets, repairs and painting of classrooms, providing safe drinking water and provision for English labs.
  • The first phase will cover 15,715 government schools for a period of one year, at a cost of Rs 3,500 crores.
  • This programme in addition to upgrading teaching and learning skills, introducing English as the medium of instruction from class 1 to 6 with Telugu or Urdu as a compulsory subject
  • Improving quality of mid-day meals, supply of textbooks, uniforms and shoes to the students on time and maintaining teacher-student ratio is expected to transform the education sector.
  • The government has also formed a committee to monitor the functioning of private schools.


November 16, 2019


 Union Govt plans to set up NE Industrial Corridor
  • Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the Government is planning to set up a North East Industrial Corridor that will create numerous job opportunities for the people of the region.
  • Singh said the Arunachal corridor would act as a land bridge between India and South East Asia, that will provide employment opportunities and give a fillip to trade and tourism.
  • The Union Defence Minister was speaking at the 11th Maitree Diwas celebrations at Tawang bordering China.
  • The two-day socio-military cultural extravaganza is being jointly organised by the Indian Army, Tawang civil administration and volunteers at the Gyalwa Tsangyang Gyatso High Altitude Stadium, Tawang.

Odisha takes conservative measures for protection of Olive Ridley turtles
  • The Odisha government has geared up the efforts for the protection and conservation of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles during the mass nesting.
  • The government directed the departments of Fishery, Forest and Marine police to operate in close coordination and ensure strict enforcement of the conservation rules.
  • Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy chaired a meeting of the high power committee for protection and conservation of Olive Ridley turtle.
  • The Coast Guard was requested to have realtime intelligence sharing with the departments about any illegal fishing.
  • The state government has already imposed a seven-month ban on fishing from November 1 to March 31 next year.
  • It has decided to pay a compensation amount of Rs 7,500 to around 8,000 fishermen families who will bear a loss for fishing ban.
  • The conservation and protection activities will be carried on in coordination with coast guard, naval wing, Integrated Test Range (ITR), Fisheries and Animal Resource department, police, various port authorities, community based organisations and forest and environment department.

FACTFILE – Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

  • The olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), also known as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, are the second smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world; this species of sea turtle is found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They can also be found in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
  • These turtles, along with the related Kemps ridley turtle, are best known for their unique mass nesting called arribada, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.
  • Olive ridley turtles are best known for their behavior of synchronized nesting in mass numbers, termed arribadas. Females return to the same beach from where they hatched, to lay their eggs.
  • In the Indian Ocean, the majority of olive ridleys nest in two or three large groups near Gahirmatha in Odisha. The coast of Odisha in India is the largest mass nesting site for the olive ridley, followed by the coasts of Mexico and Costa Rica.
  • The Gahirmatha Beach in Kendrapara district of Odisha (India), which is now a part of the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, is the largest breeding ground for these turtles.
  • Bhitarkanika mangroves were designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 2002. It is the world’s largest known rookery of olive ridley sea turtles. Apart from Gahirmatha rookery, two other mass nesting beaches have been located, which are on the mouth of rivers Rushikulya and Devi.

TiE Women raises $70,000 during New Delhi summit
  • TiE Women, an initiative launched by not-for-profit organisation TiE Global to promote women entrepreneurs across its 61 chapters globally, raised $70,000 during two days of its global summit.
  • The initiative aims to empower women entrepreneurs globally through sustainable and easy-to-adopt programmes that will track the entire entrepreneurial journey with measurable metrics.
  • Hemalatha Annamalai, Founder, Ampere Vehicles Ltd., and President TiE Coimbatore, will be the Chair for TiE Women.
  • The programme will culminate in an annual mega event where these women will showcase their successes and get access to funds, scholarships, accelerators and more.
  • Hosted by TiE Delhi-NCR, the fourth edition of TiE Global Summit witnessed power-packed conversations by eminent ecosystem stakeholders.

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs          |        Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz


November 17, 2019


 Mizoram accounts for 14% of bamboo cultivation in India
  • With 32.07 per cent of its total geographical area under bamboo cover (estimated at 6,760.71 square km), Mizoram accounts for 14 per cent of the bamboo cultivation in India.
  • This was highlighted during a seminar ‘Bamboo Composite Materials for Structural Applications’ held in Aizawl. The seminar was co-organised by the Mizoram Science, Technology & Innovation Council (MISTIC), Directorate of Science and Technology and Bhopal-based Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (CSIR-AMPRI).
  • Mizoram is said to have 36 species of bamboo, of which 24 are indigenous and 12 have been introduced.
  • The dominant species Melocanna baccifera – locally referred to as ‘Mautak’ – constitutes almost 95 per cent of the state’s bamboo forests.
  • Bamboo forests are found mainly along the river banks and abandoned jhumland as a dominant secondary vegetation.

 Dr Jiten Gohain Memorial Green Awarded to Nagaon Govt Boys’ HS School
  • Nagaon Govt Boys’ HS School was presented the ‘Dr Jiten Gohain Memorial Green Award’ for taking up cleanliness drive.
  • The award has been introduced for the first time and will be conferred to a Government-run educational institute every year to encourage for a green and healthy environment.
  • Noted innovator, Dr Uddhab Bharali presented the award to Dipika Laskar, Principal of Nagaon Govt Boys’ HS School. Dr Bharali.

Amit Shah launched winter grade diesel for Ladakh region
  • Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched winter grade diesel for the entire Ladakh region. The Indian Oil Corp”s (IOC) Panipat refinery has come up with a kind of diesel that can withstand the harsh winter conditions.
  • The winter grade diesel produced by Panipat Refinery for the first time has a pour point of – 33 degree C and does not lose its fluidity function even in the extreme winter weather of the region, unlike the normal grade of diesel which becomes exceedingly difficult to utilize.
  • Amit Shah launched the supply of this special grade diesel in Ladakh via video conferencing from the national capital. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP MP from Ladakh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, were present on the occasion.
  • The first tank truck containing winter grade HSD has been flagged off from IOC”s Panipat marketing complex.
  • Subsequent supplies of such diesel would be sent from the Jalandhar Terminal to the Leh and Kargil depots to meet demands of customers in the Leh-Ladakh region during peak winters.

WWF-India’s ‘Ek Prithvi’ programme
  • The WWF-India witnessed coming together of 700 students, principals, teachers and dignitaries at the Panda Fest organised by WWF Assam State Office at Pobitora.
  • WWF-India conceived the ‘Ek Prithvi’ programme in 2016 to build conservation leadership among students through experiential learning.
  • The programme aims to embed the approach of environment education into the schools’ education system through innovative teaching methodologies, which ultimately facilitate awareness generation, skill building and action competence in students for pro-conservation attitudes and sustainable lifestyle choices.
  • Over 2,400 students from eight Government schools in Morigaon district are enrolled in the ‘EK Prithvi’ programme.

 


November 18, 2019


 Justice SA Bobde takes oath as 47th Chief Justice of India
  • Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde took oath as the 47th Chief Justice of India. President Ram Nath Kovind administered him the oath of office at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
  • Justice Bobde succeeds Justice Ranjan Gogoi. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP Veteran L K Advani were present on the occasion among others.
  • Justice Bobde will have a tenure of around 18 months till his retirement on April 23, 2021.
  • Justice Bobde was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court on April 12, 2013.

FACTFILE – The chief justice of India (CJI)

  • CJI is the head of the judiciary of India and the Supreme Court of India. The CJI also heads their administrative functions.
  • As head of the Supreme Court, the chief justice is responsible for the allocation of cases and appointment of constitutional benches which deal with important matters of law.
  • As per Article 145 of the Constitution of India and the Supreme Court Rules of Procedure of 1966, the Chief Justice allocates all work to the other judges.
  • The Chief Justice also carries out the following functions: maintenance of the roster; appointment of court officials and general and miscellaneous matters relating to the supervision and functioning of the Supreme Court.
  • Once appointed, the chief justice remains in the office until the age of 65 years.
  • He can be removed only through a process of impeachment by Parliament.

Assam Cabinet approved Assam Bamboo and Cane Policy
  • Assam Cabinet also approved the Assam Bamboo and Cane Policy that aims at sustainable development and utilisation of bamboo and cane resources in the state through scientific management and stakeholders participation.
  • Incentives will be provided for establishment of various bamboo-based industries, processing units and development of traditional sectors like handicraft and furniture making.
  • Among other incentives are 50 per cent capital investment subsidy on eligible plant and machinery and internal electrical installations subject to a ceiling limit of Rs 5 crore and for startups in bamboo & cane sector a grant of up to Rs 5 lakh for innovative ideas.
  • The Cabinet made it compulsory for industries and factories to keep sanitary napkins for women employees. The Cabinet also approved the policy for financial autonomy to veterinary farms, pig breeding policy and goat farming policy.

Unio Govt working to set up new tech training centres
  • Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the government was working to set up new technology training centres for quality production.
  • The Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and MSME said this while addressing an event to inaugurate the 39th India International Trade Fair (IITF).
  • The theme for the 2019 edition of IITF was revealed as “Ease of Doing Business inspired by the unique achievement of India of rising up to the 63rd rank on the World Bank”s Ease of Doing Business index from 142nd rank in 2014.”
  • Several countries, including Australia, Iran, the UK, Vietnam, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Egypt, Hong Kong and Indonesia are participating in the 14-day trade fair.
  • This year, the status of partner country has been accorded to Afghanistan, while Bihar and Jharkhand are the focus states.

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs          |        Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz


November 19, 2019


 Meghalaya to ink with Korean tech firm for waste management
  • The Meghalaya government would be seeking the expertise of a South Korean company for solid waste management and an agreement is likely to be inked during Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s visit to Seoul.
  • Ambassador of South Korea to India Shin Bong-Kil said that the Meghalaya government has expressed interest in a Korean company’s expertise in solid waste management.
  • The Meghalaya government gave a presentation on mining highlighting the pollution caused by it over the years.
  • The State government sought access to Korean technology to find ways to purify the rivers and streams.
  • Bong-Kil was the chief guest at the closing ceremony of Cherry Blossom Festival, which was held at the Polo Grounds yesterday. South Korea was the partner country of the festival this year.

Bengaluru-based environment think-tank Ashoka Trust to receive UNESCO prize for eco-conservation
  • Bengaluru-based environment think-tank Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) will be awarded the 2019 UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize for environmental conservation.
  • The award is being given in recognition of ATREE”s socially-just environment conservation and sustainable development activities in Sikkim and Darjeeling regions.
  • The prize also recognises its contributions towards the discovery of new species in the Western Ghats, outreach to raise awareness about India”s biodiversity and training environmental leaders.
  • The prize consists of $100,000, a diploma and a medal. The award ceremony will be held in Budapest, Hungary, during the upcoming World Science Forum.

FACTFILE – Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE)

  • Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) is a research institution founded by Kamaljit S. Bawa based in Bangalore, India focusing in the areas of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
  • The trust works to generate rigorous interdisciplinary knowledge for achieving environmental conservation and sustainable development in a socially just manner, to enable the use of this knowledge by policy makers and society, and to train the next generation of scholars and leaders.
  • ATREE contributes to the conservation of diverse environments throughout India, including the Eastern Himalayas, the UNESCO Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and the Western Ghats world heritage site, Vembanad lake, Kaziranga and Manas National Parks, the grasslands of Kutch, the wetlands of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and the urban landscapes of Karnataka.

National Green Tribunal (NGT) fine Rs 10 crore penatly on UP Govt
  • The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 crore on the Uttar Pradesh government for failing to check sewage discharge containing toxic chromium into river Ganga at Rania and Rakhi Mandi in Kanpur. Besides, the NGT has also slapped a fine of Rs 280 crore on 22 tanneries for causing pollution.
  • A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said the problem has not been tackled for the last 43 years and this has resulted in contamination of groundwater affecting the health and life of the inhabitants.
  • The environment compensation of Rs 280.01 crore was also assessed by the state pollution control board.
  • The NGT also held UPPCB liable and directed it to pay Rs 1 crore for ignoring illegal discharge of sewage and other effluent containing toxic chromium directly into Ganga.

FACTFILE – National Green Tribunal Act, 2010

  • National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 is an Act of the Parliament of India which enables creation of a special tribunal to handle the expeditious disposal of the cases pertaining to environmental issues.
  • It draws inspiration from the India’s constitutional provision of Article 48A which assures the citizens of India the right to a healthy environment.
  • On 18 October 2010, Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta became its first Chairman. Retired justice Adarsh Kumar Goel is the incumbent chairman of national green tribunal.
  • The Principal Bench of the NGT is in New Delhi and has regional benches in Pune (West), Bhopal (Central), Chennai (South) and Kolkata (East).

India and Singapore exchanges Letter of Intent in defence sector
  • India and Singapore exchanged a Letter of Intent (LoI) for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) whereby the latter’s defence establishment could use the Chandipur Integrated Test Range in Odisha.
  • The exchange of the Letter of Intent took place in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is on a two-day trip to the Southeast Asian nation, and his Singaporean counterpart Dr Ng Eng.
  • The Integrated Test Range, a missile testing facility of the Defence Research & Development Organisation, is located on Dr Abdul Kalam Island, formerly known as Wheeler Island, off the eastern coast of India in the Bay of Bengal.
  • Singh co-chaired the 4th Singapore-India Defence Ministers Dialogue. Singh also offered setting up of Joint Test Facilities under the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme of India following which Dr Ng agreed to explore opportunities for a joint collaboration.
  • The Ministers also agreed to explore cooperation in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Geo-Spatial Data Sharing and Cyber Security.
  • It was also agreed to hold the 5th Defence Ministers Dialogue in India next year on mutually convenient dates.



November 20, 2019


  Arunachal Pradesh gets ‘Best Emerging Green Tourist Destination Award’
  • Arunachal Pradesh has been awarded the ‘Best Emerging Green Tourist Destination Award’ by Travel & Leisure magazine.
  • Arunachal Pradesh is one of the last ‘Truly Unexplored’ destinations in the world which offers an awe-inspiring experience to the discerning tourist.
  • The award is a boost to the efforts of the Tourism department in bringing Arunachal Pradesh prosperity through sustainable tourism.
  • The awards were given to Tourism departments and stakeholders in recognition of their efforts towards promoting green tourism.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Deputy PM of Singapore
  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Heng Swee Keat. Singh is on a two-day visit to Singapore to co-chair the 4th India-Singapore Defence Ministers” Dialogue.
  • The Defence Minister referred to India’s stand on the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region and stressed that the Indo-Pacific for India meant an open, inclusive and stable region, connected through secure seas, integrated by trade and anchored by the unity and centrality of Asean.
  • He said India’s stand on implementation of international laws and norms, freedom of navigation, unimpeded lawful commerce and peaceful settlement of disputes was the only way to ensure a rule-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.
  • Singh conveyed to Keat that India”s vision of a comprehensive agenda of regional cooperation was rooted in ”SAGAR”, that”s ”Security and Growth for All in the Region”.
  • During the meeting, they also agreed upon furthering bilateral defence cooperation.
  • Singh also took a sortie in the Super Puma Helicopter of the Singapore Air Force at the Sembawang Air Base and visited Singapore naval ship RSS Stalwart.
  • He paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his Marker in Singapore and also to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Indian National Army martyrs at their memorial.

Facebook partners with WCD Ministry to boost digital literacy
  • In a bid to make social networking secure and safe for women and children, Facebook made partnership with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) at Facebook”s “South Asia Safety Summit”.
  • Formation of an ideal “Internet Consortium” to propose recommendations for online child safety and launch of ”We Think Digital”, the company”s global digital literacy programme.
  • The summit was joined by over 100 organisations from Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and India.
  • Facebook is set to launch another campaign called “Thumbstoppers” next year, which will be a series of short creative mobile videos under 10 seconds from India”s advertising community, focusing on empowering and educating people on issues like gender equality, domestic violence and education for the girl child.
  • Facebook said it is committed to support economic growth and social good in India and is working with partners to train more than five million people by 2021.

ISRO to launch Cartosat-3, 13 commercial nano satellites
  • India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C47 will launch Cartosat-3 and 13 commercial nanosatellites into Sun Synchronous orbit from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.
  • PSLV-C47 is the 21st flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration, that is with 6 solid strap-on motors.
  • This will be the 74th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota.
  • Cartosat-3 satellite is a third-generation agile advanced satellite having high-resolution imaging capability.
  • PSLV-C47 will also carry 13 commercial nanosatellites from the United States of America as part of commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), Department of Space.

FACTFILE – Cartosat-3 satellite

  • Cartosat-3 is an advanced Indian Earth Observation satellite built and developed by ISRO, which will replace the IRS series.
  • It has a panchromatic resolution of 0.25 metres making it the imaging satellite with highest resolution in the world and Mx of 1 metre with a high quality resolution which is a major improvement from the previous payloads in the Cartosat series.
  • Potential uses include weather mapping, cartography or army defence, and strategic applications
  • ISRO launched additional satellites in the Cartosat-2 series through 2016, 2017 and 2018.

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs          |        Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz


November 21, 2019


 Assam State Cabinet approved the Assam Excise (Amendment) Bill 2019
  • The State Cabinet approved the Assam Excise (Amendment) Bill 2019 that seeks to bring molasses in the list of excisable items.
  • The Bill seeks to amend section 2(h) and section 84(2)(d) of the Assam Excise Act, 2000 such that the list of excisable articles will be expanded to include molasses as an excisable item.
  • It also seeks to regulate import, export, transport or possession of molasses. A new section will be inserted to define the term molasses for the purpose of the Assam Excise Act.
  • The amendments in the Excise Act will facilitate the introduction of necessary rules to control and regulate the production, storage, distribution, possession and sale of molasses in the State to deal effectively with the challenges posed by the rampant production, trade and consumption of the spurious liquor.

India, Uzbekistan sign security cooperation agreement
  • India and the central Asian country of Uzbekistan inked an agreement on security cooperation including in the field of counter-terrorism, organized crime and human trafficking.
  • The agreement was signed during a meeting between a delegation from Uzbekistan, led by Minister of Internal Affairs, Pulat Bobojonov, with an Indian delegation, led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.
  • The two sides discussed areas of mutual interest, including counter-terrorism cooperation and training for Uzbek security personnel in Indian institutions, capacity building, border guarding and disaster management.
  • The Agreement on Security Cooperation, signed by the two ministers, will further strengthen cooperation between India-Uzbekistan in the diverse fields including counter-terrorism, organized crime and human trafficking.
  • The Indian delegation included Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai along with other senior officers from the Ministry.

LS passes Bill for transparency in Chit Fund schemes
  • The Lok Sabha passed a Bill that aims at putting in place a mechanism to ensure transparency in chit fund schemes, protect subscribers and regulate the industry.
  • To facilitate orderly growth of the chit fund sector, Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Thakur said through the Chit Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2019 the government was making changes in the rules for starting a chit fund.
  • The Minister had moved the Bill, which seeks to amend the Chit Funds Act, 1982.
  • With the amendments, the prescribed ceiling of aggregate chit fund amount for individuals would be raised to Rs 3 lakh from Rs 1 lakh, and Rs 18 lakh from Rs 6 lakh for firms.
  • Besides, words ”gross chit amount”, ”share of discount” and ”net chit amount” would be substituted with ”chit amount”, ”dividend” and ”prize amount”, respectively.
  • The amended Act would confer powers upon the state governments to specify the amount up to which any chit fund shall be exempted under the Act.

India successfully test-fires nuke-capable Prithvi-II
  • India successfully testfired its indigenously developed nuclear capable surface-to-surface Prithvi-2 missile as part of a user trial by the Army from a test range off Odisha coast.
  • The trial of the missile, which has a strike range of 350 km, was carried out from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the ITR.
  • The missile was randomly chosen from the production stock and the entire launch activity was carried out by Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the Army and monitored by scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of the training exercise.

FACTFILEPrithvi-II missile

  • Prithvi-2 is capable of carrying 500-1,000 kg of warheads and is powered by liquid propulsion twin engines.
  • The state-of-the-art missile uses advanced inertial guidance system with maneuvering trajectory to hit its target.
  • Inducted into the armory of Indian defence forces in 2003, nine-metre tall ‘Prithvi’ was the first missile to have been developed by DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holds bilateral meets on ADMM-Plus
  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand in Bangkok where they have come to attend the 6th ASEAN Defence Ministers” Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus). He reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral defence relations with his various counterparts and discussed ways to further improve the ties.
  • Rajnath Singh and US Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper expressed satisfaction over the increasing defence engagements between the two countries. The two will be meeting again for the 2+2 meeting in Washington DC later next month.
  • He had a detailed discussion on adding further momentum to India-Japan defence cooperation with Japanese counterpart Taro Konowas.
  • He also met his counterparts from Australia – Linda Reynolds – and New Zealand – Ron Mark – and discussed ongoing defence cooperation and potential areas for enhanced engagement.

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs          |        Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

Assam Current Affairs –November 08 – 14, 2019

Current Affairs Assam – November 8 - 14, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of November 8 – 14, 2019 )

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                              Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

November 08, 2019


Assam State Child Scientist Award for class VIII student Raj Sharma
  • A project on an alternative source of fibre, developed from the snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) by Hiranya Raj Sharma, a class VIII student of Dhekiajuli town of Sonitpur district, was awarded the Khagendra Nath Brahma State Child Scientist Award in the lower age group at the 27th State-level National Children’s Science Congress (NCSC) 2019.
  • Hiranya Raj, a student of Polestar Academy of Singri area in Dhekiajuli town conducted research under the guidance of an assistant teacher of Dhekiajuli High School, Sailendra Sharma to understand that the plant which is locally popular as ‘khoru gumoni gos’ has enough utility.
  • The snake plant is a wild evergreen perennial plant locally available and spreads by way of its creeping rhizomes. It is a common weed of the roadsides, abandoned gardens and waste areas. Its leaves are thick and the mature leaves are dark green in colour, usually ranging from 60-160 centimetres in length and 6-10 centimetres in width.
  • The student undertook the project to study the snake plant and to explore its potential to be used as a substitute/supplement to the conventional fibres and also to protect and preserve the traditional knowledge and to scientifically test these ideas.
  • The lack of proper knowledge on possible benefits from the snake plant, has led to a situation where it is uprooted from fields.
  • A survey was conducted about the plant among the farmers where it was found that nearly 97.64 % had no knowledge about its usefulness. But if awareness is created, the snake plant could be used for producing an eco-friendly fibre from which goods of daily use can be made.

 Highlights of the India Justice Report 2019

  • Tata Trusts in collaboration with the Centre for Social Justice, Common Cause, and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative has prepared the India Justice Report (2019).
  • This is the first-ever ranking of Indian states on justice delivery.
  • The India Justice Report 2019 is based on publicly available data of different government entities on the four pillars of justice delivery — police, judiciary, prisons, and legal aid.
  • The report has divided states on the basis of the population into two parts: (1) The large-medium states (Population 1 crore and above) and (2) The small states and Union Territories (Population less than 1 crore)
  • Maharashtra has topped the list among large-medium States in delivering justice to people followed by Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Haryana. In this category, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are at the bottom.
  • Among the small states (where the population is less than one crore each), Goa has topped the list followed by Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh.
  • On average, the police have a vacancy of 23% (2017), and the judiciary between 20%-40% across the high courts and lower judiciary.
  • No State/ UT is able to meet all its diversity quotas (ST, SC, and OBC). Karnataka comes closest to achieve diversity quotas (missed its SC reservation target by 4%).
  • Women are poorly represented across the Justice system. They account for 7% of the Police, 10 % of Prison staff and about 26.5 % of all judges in the High Court and subordinate courts.

India expresses commitment to fully implement FATF standards
  • India expressed its commitment to fully implement the standards of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and establish Anti-Money Laundering as well as Countering Financing of Terrorism regimes to dismantle the terror financing networks.
  • Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy Presenting India”s concern over terror financing issues on the second day of the second ”No Money For Terror” conference being attended by 65 countries.
  • FATF is an inter-governmental “policy-making body” which works to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
  • The FATF has developed a series of recommendations that are recognised as the international standard for combating of money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
  • The FATF recommendations form the basis for a co-ordinated response to these threats to the integrity of the financial system and help ensure a level playing field.
  • A First issued in 1990, the FATF recommendations were revised in 1996, 2001, 2003 and most recently in 2012 to ensure that they remain up to date and relevant, and they are intended to be of universal application.

 FACTFILE – The Financial Action Task Force (on Money Laundering) (FATF)

  • The Financial Action Task Force (on Money Laundering) (FATF) is an intergovernmental organization founded in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering.
  • In 2001 its mandate expanded to include terrorism financing. It monitors progress in implementing the FATF Recommendations through “peer reviews” of member countries.
  • The FATF Secretariat is housed at the OECD headquarters in Paris.
  • Since 2000, to fight money laundering and terror financing the FATF maintains the current list of nations: FATF blacklist (formally called the “Call for action”) and the “FATF greylist”.
  • As of 2019 FATF consists of thirty-seven member jurisdictions and two regional organisations.
  • Regional organizations: European Commission & Gulf Cooperation Council
  • Member Nations:
    1. Argentina
    2. Australia
    3. Austria
    4. Belgium
    5. Brazil
    6. Canada
    7. China
    8. Denmark
    9. Finland
    10. France
    11. Germany
    12. Greece
    13. Hong Kong, China
    14. Iceland
    15. India
    16. Ireland
    17. Israel
    18. Italy
    19. Japan
    20. South Korea
    21. Kingdom of the Netherlands
    22. Luxembourg
    23. Malaysia
    24. Mexico
    25. New Zealand
    26. Norway
    27. Portugal
    28. Russian Federation
    29. Saudi Arabia[25]
    30. Singapore
    31. South Africa
    32. Spain
    33. Sweden
    34. Switzerland
    35. Turkey
    36. United Kingdom
    37. United States


November 09, 2019


 Akil Kureshi appointed as Chief Justice of Tripura High Court
  • Centre has appointed Justice Akil Kureshi, the judge of Bombay High Court, as the Chief Justice of Tripura High Court.
  • The Centre’s counsel had told the Supreme Court that nearly all administrative formalities in connection with the appointment had been completed, except the last signature.
  • A senior judge from the Gujarat High Court, Justice Akil Kureshi is serving as a judge of the Bombay High Court at present following a transfer.

FACTFILE – Tripura High Court

  • The Tripura High Court is the High Court of the state of Tripura, established on 23 March 2013, after making suitable amendments in the Constitution of India and North-Eastern Areas (Re-organisation) Act, 1971.
  • The seat of the High Court is at Agartala, the capital of Tripura. The first Chief Justice is Justice Deepak Gupta.
  • Earlier, the state of Tripura along with the other six states of the North – East of India was under the Gauhati High Court, a permanent bench of the Gauhati High Court was established in Agartala in the year 1992 having territorial jurisdiction of the state of Tripura.

India-Indonesia joint naval exercise Samudra Shakti
  • Anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kamorta is jointly exercising with Indonesian warship KRI Usman Harun, a multi-role corvette, in the Bay of Bengal as part of an ongoing bilateral exercise ’Samudra Shakti’.
  • The joint exercises include, manoeuvres, surface warfare exercises, air defence exercises, weapon firing drills, helicopter operations and boarding operations..
  • KRI Usman Harun arrived at Visakhapatnam to participate in the second edition of Ex ‘’Samudra Shakti’’.
  • The harbour phase concluded with professional interactions in the form of subject matter expert exchanges (SMEE), cross deck visits, simulator drills, planning conferences, sports fixtures and social interactions.

FACTFILE  – Samudra Shakti Exercise

  • Samudra Shakti is a bilateral maritime exercise between India and Indonesia.
  • IT’s objective is to strengthen bilateral relations, expand maritime co-operation, enhance interoperability and exchange best practices between the Navies of India and Indonesia.
  • Garuda Shakti is the joint military exercise between India and Indonesia.

India, UAE discuss boosting trade & investment ties
  • Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan held talks with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh on further enhancing the countries” trade, investment and tourism ties.
  • Muraleedharan is in Abu Dhabi to attend the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) ministerial meeting.
  • The UAE takes over from South Africa as IORA Chairman for a two year period to 2021.
  • The theme of the meeting is “Promoting a Shared Destiny and Path to Prosperity in the Indian Ocean”.
  • Founded in 1997, the Association, whose headquarters are in Mauritius, is an inter-governmental organisation with 22 member states as well as nine dialogue partners.
  • These partners are countries situated outside the region but who have interests within it. It seeks to promote sustained growth and balanced development within the Indian Ocean region.

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                              Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz


November 10, 2019


 World Bank’s $110 million deal for river transport in Assam
  • A loan negotiation for an amount of $110 million was successfully concluded for the Assam Inland Water Transport Project (AIWTP) to be executed by the Government of Assam and the World Bank.
  • The negotiation was carried out in the presence of the Director, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India at the Country Head office of World Bank in New Delhi.
  • The Indian delegation on behalf of the Government of Assam was represented by Virendra Mittal, State Project Director, AIWTDS; Dhrubajyoti Das, Additional Secretary, Transport Department and Director, IWT, Assam, and Rahul Chandra Das, Deputy State Project Director, AIWTDS.
  • The team representing the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance was led by Bandana Preyashi, Director, DEA. The World Bank team was led by Atul Agarwal, Team Leader, World Bank.
  • The objective of the project is to develop an efficient river transport system which would be safe, secure and comfortable for the large volume of passengers and cargo carried by vessels.

India, France begin counterterrorism Exercise ‘Shakti 2019’
  • Shakti 2019, a 14-day joint military exercise involving India and France, started at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Bikaner. The joint exercise will facilitate both armies to know each other better, share their operational experience and enhance awareness through information exchange.
  • This will help them in undertaking joint operations at platoon level for countering terrorist threats under the mandate of the United Nations.
  • The ceremony saw the unfurling of the national flags of both countries amidst playing of their respective national anthems.
  • The ceremony also witnessed synchronised marching of troops to martial tunes.
  • This was followed by evocative speeches by the Reviewing Officers of both countries.

New Zealand passes zero carbon bill to combat climate change
  • New Zealand passed a bill to reduce its carbon emissions to zero by 2050 and meet its commitments under the Paris climate accord.
  • The law commits New Zealand to keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, as stipulated by the Paris Agreement and marks an important step in the fight against the climate emergency looming over the world according to more than 11,000 scientists worldwide.
  • The zero emissions target excludes methane emissions but the law pledges to reduce them gradually.
  • The law includes the establishment of a green investment fund worth NZ$100 million ($64 million), a carbon trading scheme and inclusion of agriculture in emissions pricing by 2025, and the plantation of one billion trees by 2028.
  • The law also stipulates suspending the release of new permits for hydrocarbon explorations at sea and supports the production of cheaper electric vehicles apart from setting a goal of 100 per cent renewable electricity generation by 2035.
  • The legislation aims to cut biological methane emissions from agriculture by 10 per cent until 2030, and targets 24-47 per cent reduction in emissions by 2050.

November 11, 2019


 Brahmaputra Valley Samaj Hitoishi Award to DN Chakravarty
  • The Dayal Krishna Bora memorial Brahmaputra Valley Samaj Hitoishi Award-2019, under the auspices of Sahai, a socio-cultural organisation, was formally conferred on veteran journalist Dhirendra Nath.
  • The Finance and PWD Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma formally handed over the award to the 93-year-old journalist.
  • DN chakravarty always advocated for the unity and integrity of Bharat and its Sanatani civilisation. Vaishnavite scholar Dayal Krishna Bora was a worthy son of Morigaon district, who sacrificed his whole life for the cause of the society.
  • Speaking on the occasion, DN Chakravarty said that he is still writing for the society and is a senior working journalist of entire Asia by now. Presenting the socio-economic history of Assam and India, Chakravarty said that we have a golden history right from Mahabharat days and we must uphold the century-old historical tradition.

Sanjay Karol is the new Chief Justice of Patna High Court
  • Justice Sanjay Karol took oath as the new Chief Justice of Patna High Court. He was sworn-in by Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan at a ceremony organised at the Raj Bhawan.
  • The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, senior judges and other dignitaries.
  • Justice Karol was the Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court. His predessor at the Patna High Court has been transferred to the Madras High Court.

 FACTFILE – Patna High Court

  • The Patna High Court is the High Court of the state of Bihar.
  • It was established on 3 February 1916 and later affiliated under the Government of India Act 1915. The court is headquartered in Patna, the administrative capital of the state.
  • In 1948, Patna High Court exercised jurisdiction over the territories of the Province of Bihar & Orissa till 26 July 1948, when a separate High Court was constituted for Orissa.
  • In 1972, Patna High Court opened a Circuit Bench at Ranchi and in 1976, the Circuit Bench of Patna High Court at Ranchi became Permanent Bench and in 2000 it became Jharkhand High Court on November 2000, under the Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000.
  • Patna High Court celebrated Centenary Celebrations in 2015.

Environment Ministry nod to Indian Oil Corporation’s Panipat ethanol plant
  • The Union Environment Ministry has given its clearance to Indian Oil Corporation for setting up a 2G ethanol plant in Panipat.
  • The ethanol project at the Panipat refinery is being set up a cost of Rs 909 crore.
  • The benefit of the plant is that blending of ethanol with motor spirit leads to reduction of import of crude oil with corresponding savings in foreign exchange.
  • This project envisages production of 100 kl ethanol a day from multi-feedstock lignocelluloses using indigenous technology.

CJI office falls within ambit of RTI Act, says SC
  • Observing that judicial independence and accountability go hand in hand, the Supreme Court on Wednesday held that the office of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is a public authority and falls within the purview of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
  • Pronouncing a landmark verdict, the apex court at the same time said transparency cannot be allowed to run to its absolute and that RTI Act should not be used as a surveillance tool. It also observed there should be a balance between right to privacy and right to information and they have to be treated as “co-equals”
  • A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi unanimously upheld the 2010 Delhi High Court judgement and dismissed three appeals filed by Secretary General of the Supreme Court and the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of the top court.
  • The high court on January 10, 2010 held that the CJI office comes within the ambit of the RTI law, saying judicial independence was not a judge’s privilege, but a responsibility cast upon him.
  • Hailing the apex court verdict, RTI activists said “no one is above the law” and it is a great step towards transparency and building the trust of people in the justice system.

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                              Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz


November 12, 2019


 Assam signs pact with Malaysia trade body
  • The Industries and Commerce Department, Assam, signed an MoU with Malaysia India Business Council (MIBC) in the presence of Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary and MIBC president Tan Sri Ir Kuna Sittampalam.
  • Both the parties agreed to explore and improve two-way trade and investment between India and Malaysia in sectors like education, tourism, primary industries, etc.
  • Assistance will be accorded to business or trade missions from India visiting Malaysia and vice versa in seminars, conferences, exhibitions, economic and technical fairs, information bureau, symposia, or similar events taking place in both the countries.
  • It was also decided to accelerate engagement, trade and cultural exchange to unlock the potential sectors between Assam and Malaysia.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hands over Rs 3 crore to two defence start-ups
  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh handed over Rs 3 crore to two start-ups in the defence sector, to help them build upon their innovative ideas, during the inaugural session of DefConnect 2019, an initiative to showcase innovations in defence excellence.
  • The start-up firms, North Street Cooling Towers and Chipspirit Technologies were handed over cheques of around Rs 1.5 crore each by Singh.
  • The initiative Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) had been launched by the central government in April 2018 to create an ecosystem that will foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace.
  • Under the initiative, the government is also committed to provide grants, funding and other support to carry out research and development that has the potential to cater to the needs of the Indian defence sector.
  • More than 350 start-ups selected by the iDEX, partner incubators, Defence Innovation Organization (DIO), nodal agencies including the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, apart from DRDO, Defence PSUs and Ordnance Factories were part of DefConnect 2019.

Environment Ministry’s launches beach cleanliness drive
  • The Environment Ministry is launching a mass cleanliness drive at 50 beaches under the “Swachh – Nirmal Tat Abhiyaan”.
  • The government”s effort is to clean up the beaches and create awareness among citizens about the importance of coastal ecosystems.
  • Will clean the beaches in 10 coastal states/Union Territories (UTs), namely Gujarat, Daman & Diu, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
  • The beaches have been identified after consultations with the states/UTs.
  • The cleaning drive will involve school/college students who are part of eco-clubs, district administration, institutions, volunteers, local communities and other stakeholders.
  • State nodal agencies for the eco-clubs will be facilitating the week long cleanliness drive.
  • The beach cleaning drive will be of two hours” duration daily, and a minimum of a one kilometre stretch of the beach will be identified.
  • Sand cleaning machines will be deployed at about 15 beaches. The collected waste will be processed as per Waste Management Rules, 2016.
  • The Environment Education Division of the Ministry and the Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) will be responsible for the overall coordination for the drive.

Himachal Pradesh Govt & Dutch companies sign 14 MoUs
  • The Himachal Pradesh government and Dutch companies have signed 14 memorandum of understanding of Rs 200 crore.
  • The pacts mainly in agriculture, horticulture, sports, water management, waste to energy and ecotourism were signed at Global Investment Summit held in Dharamsala.
  • The Netherlands had the largest overseas delegation led by Vikas Chaturvedi, CEO of Valucent Group and founder Chairman of ASSOCHAM Europe.

Samsung Innovation Award at IIT Indore
  • Samsung India conducted the 9th edition of the ”Samsung Innovation Award” at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indore to recognise and reward innovations that have the potential to revolutionise everyday living.
  • This year, the theme was ”Systems that learn” and students were encouraged to think creatively and propose practical ideas around multi-modal sensing, applications of learning systems, VR, XR, 3D imaging, distributed AI and more.
  • Prizes worth Rs 3.5 lakhs were awarded to the top three winners, while the other three finalists received award of merit from Samsung.
  • The first prize went to Ram S. Mohril for the project ”AR/VR Enhanced Textbook reading and learning experience”.
  • The second Prize was grabbed by Chaitanya Mehta forhis project ”Tree Climbing Quadraped Robot”.
  • The third prize was awarded to Nemath Ahmed, Suraj Polamaina and Shavez Malick for their project ”Immersive Acoustic Spatial Awareness for Visually Impaired”.


November 13, 2019


 Union Govt approves Assam Police’s intelligence sharing project
  • The Centre has approved Assam Police’s plan to create a seamless intelligence sharing online platform among the police forces of all the eight northeastern states that might prove to be a game changer in destabilising the inter-state criminal network.
  • Equipped with geo-tagging, the project, is one of its kind in the country where, for the first time, police forces of eight states would share inputs and facilitate each other’s investigation on request, under an organised technological set-up.
  • The application-based platform would encompass police officers from the rank of the officer-in-charge of a police station to the entire chain of top hierarchy of the respective state police of the region.
  • The much-awaited project envisages creating a proactive network among the neighbouring states when it comes to handling organised crimes with cross-border ramification, including abduction, smuggling of precious items and vehicle theft, among others. There are also plans to share database of criminals among the state police forces.

Justice Rafiq took charge as Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court
  • Justice Mohammed Rafiq sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court Governor Tathagata Roy administer the oath of office and secrecy to him at Raj Bhavan.
  • Rafiq, 59, succeeds Ajay Kumar Mittal who is now the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
  • He will be the 8th Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court.
  • Rafiq started his law practice in 1984. He practiced exclusively in the Rajasthan High Court in almost all branches of law. He served as an advocate from 1999 to 2006.
  • In 2008, he was appointed as Justice at the Rajasthan High Court. Rafiq also served as acting Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court twice.

 FACTFILE – Meghalaya High Court

  • The Meghalaya High Court is the High Court of the state of Meghalaya.
  • It was established in March 2013, after making suitable amendments in the Constitution of India and North-Eastern Areas (Re-organisation) Act of 1971. Earlier, a bench of the Gauhati High Court had jurisdiction over the state of Meghalaya.
  • The seat of the High Court is at Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya.
  • The strength of judges as for this High Court is 3 permanent judges including the Hon’ble Chief Justice and 2 Hon’ble Judges.

India has successfully conducted the night trial of Agni-II
  • India has successfully conducted the night trial of Agni-II, its versatile surface-to-surface medium-range nuclear-capable missile from Dr Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast.
  • Agni-II, an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), has already been inducted into the armed forces.
  • This was the first time that the sophisticated missile was testfired at night.
  • The entire trajectory of the trial was tracked by a battery of sophisticated radars, telemetry observation stations, electro-optic instruments and two naval ships located near the impact point in the down-range area of Bay of Bengal.
  • The test was carried out by the specially formed Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Army with logistic support from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
  • The two-stage ballistic missile can carry a payload of 1000 kg over a distance of 2000 km. 

India, US tri-services exercise ‘Tiger Triumph’
  • A nine-day tri-services exercise between India and the US on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief will began with the aim of strengthening the bilateral relationship and defence cooperation.
  • In the exercise, named Tiger Triumph, Indian Naval ships Jalashwa, Airavat and Sandhayak, Indian Army troops from 19 Madras and 7 Guards, and Indian Air Force MI-17 helicopters and Rapid Action Medical Team would be participating.
  • The US would be represented by US Navy Ship Germantown with troops from US third marine division. The exercise is aimed at developing inter-operability for conducting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
  • The Harbour Phase is scheduled at Visakhapatnam. The opening ceremony along with a joint flag parade would be held onboard INS Jalashwa.
  • Personnel from both the navies would also participate in training visits, subject matter expert exchanges, sports events and social interactions.
  • On completion of the Harbour Phase, the ships, with troops embarked, would sail for the sea phase and undertake maritime, amphibious and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
  • On reaching the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief area at Kakinada, the landing of relief forces would be undertaken to the exercise scenario.

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                              Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz


November 14, 2019


 IIT Guwahati researchers develop sensor to assess milk freshness
  • The Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT-G) said its researchers have developed a paper-based sensor that can make assessment of the freshness of milk by a simple method and instantaneous.
  • Bacteria and other microbes that can grow in milk can not only affect the taste and freshness, but can also result in health issues.
  • Pasteurisation is commonly used to kill the microbes in milk and various tests are used to ensure the effectiveness of pasteurisation.
  • Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) is a metalloprotein found naturally in raw milk samples and is considered an important biomarker in quality control of milk. It is found in raw milk and is destroyed during pasteurisation.
  • Detection of ALP in milk can thus point to inadequate pasteurisation and perhaps contamination.
  • The researchers have used simple filter paper, chemically modified it, and loaded it with a recognition element anti-ALP, which captures the ALP present in the milk.
  • Upon treatment of the colour forming compound BCIP to the captured complex of ALP forms a blue-green coloured precipitate, that otherwise does not gives any colour in the absence of ALP.
  • The intensity of the colour indicates the amount of ALP present. The team used a smartphone to capture the image of the colour and used the RGB (Red Green Blue) filter in the phone to profile the colour obtained, which could be co-related to the concentration of ALP present in the test sample.
  • The researchers successfully tested milk obtained from villages and commercially available milk samples using their paper-based sensor kit, and found that they could detect down to 0.87 units of ALP per millilitre of milk to about 91-100 per cent accuracy.
  • This detection limit and accuracy make it possible to discriminate raw milk (often contains as high as 191U/mL ALP) from boiled milk which contains ALP in ultra-trace amount.

Indo-France joint military ‘Exercise Shakti-2019’
  • The closing ceremony of the joint military exercise between Indian and French Army, ”Exercise SHAKTI-2019” concluded at Mahajan Field Firing Range, Rajasthan.
  • The ceremony was reviewed by Brigadier General Jean Christophe Bechon, Commandant 6th Light Armoured Brigade, French Army and Major General Inderjit Singh, General Officer Commanding, Gandiv Division of Sapta Shakti Command.
  • An infantry platoon group of The Sikh Regiment part of Sapta Shakti Command and a platoon group of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment, part of 6th Armoured Brigade, represented India and France respectively in the exercise.
  • Exercise SHAKTI-2019 was a two-phased exercise. In the inter-operability phase, the contingents underwent rigorous combat conditioning and tactical training.
  • The training received by both the armies in inter-operability phase was put into practice in the validation phase.
  • The contingents jointly took part in the validation exercise which included establishment of observation posts, cordon and search operation and house clearing drills.

Defence Exercises between India and France:

  • Varuna – Naval exercise
  • Garuda – Air exercise
  • Shakti – Army exercise

Punjab signs pact for promotion of products of MSMEs
  • A memorandum of understanding was signed by state-run Invest Punjab with startup Pumpkart for e-commerce promotion and selling of products of micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
  • Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) Managing Director Sibin C. signed the pact on behalf of the state government with Pumpkart Co-Founder and CEO K.S. Bhatia.
  • Additional Chief Secretary (Investment Promotions and Industry and Commerce) Vini Mahajan said the government is committed to promote the MSMEs at a time when there is economic recession in the country.
  • She also said industry in the state attracted more than 50,000 crore investments and these are under implementation stage.
  • Keeping in line with the Make in India programme, state govt have formulated the Make in Punjab policy.

Nilam Sawhney appointed as Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh
  • Senior IAS officer Nilam Sawhney was appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh, order was issued by the General Administration Department appointing Sawhney, a 1984 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, to the top post.
  • Sawhney is the first woman chief secretary of the truncated state of Andhra Pradesh.
  • The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved repatriation of Sawhney, who was serving as Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment.

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                              Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

Assam Current Affairs –November 01 – 07, 2019

Current Affairs Assam – November 1 - 7, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of November 1 – 7, 2019 )

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                              Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz

November 01, 2019


 Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu to inaugurate NE Book Fair at Guwahati
  • Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate the 21st North East Book Fair, 2019, organised by the All Assam Publishers and Book Sellers Association at the AEI Field in Guwahati.
  • The book fair, scheduled from November 1 to November 12, has this year attracted a total of 75 publishers and book sellers from all over the country, besides one publishing house from Bangladesh.
  • More than 150 Assamese books will be released during the fair that will also see a series of cultural and literary activities.
  • The book fair has been dedicated in the memory of eminent educationist Tabu Ram Taid, who passes in August this year. The main stage of the book fair is dedicated in the memory of social worker GL Agarwala and artist Benu Misra.
  • The cultural programmes of the book fair have been dedicated in the memory of Vaishnavite scholar Purnabrata Deva Goswami, Natya Samrat Chandra Choudhury and freedom fighter Ramesh Chandra Sarma. The main auditorium of the fair is dedicated in the memory of eminent anthropologist Annada Charan Bhagabati. The sabhaghar of the book fair has been dedicated in the memory of Prof Dilip Kumar Dutta.
  • Remembering litterateur Purabi Bormudoi, a special women’s day will be observed during the book fair. Similarly, a senior citizens day in the memory of folk scholar and linguist Pramod Chandra Bhattacharya and a children’s day remembering writer Manik Bora.

BIOGRAPHY – Tabu Ram Taid

  • Tabu Ram Taid was an Indian educationist, linguist, author and administrator.
  • Hailing from the Mising community, a small indigenous tribe of Assam, India, and from an economically challenged and geographically remote village ‘Ghunasuti Ayengia’, tackling various challenges and obstacles, eventually earned a Post Graduate degree from Delhi University, which was quite uncommon in his community at that time.
  • Starting his career as a lecturer of English language in Cotton College, Guwahati, he further proceeded to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Linguistics from the University of Reading, UK, and also successfully completed a course in Distance Teaching at University of London Institute of Education, UK.
  • He served in various senior level posts in various educational arms of the Government of Assam.
  • He was the founder President of the Mising Agom Kebang (Linguistic Society of the Mising, also known as Mising Sahitya Sabha), the apex body of the Mising community aiming for the preservation and development of the Mising language.
  • His body of work includes the ‘Mising Gompir Kumsung’ a dictionary of the Mising language with an introduction to Mising grammar), ‘EkuNki nibondho’, a collection of selected articles written in Assamese, ‘Glimpses’, a collection of articles written in English, research work on the Mising and Assamese language, editorial work on traditional Mising literary artifacts like folk songs, along with lexicographical works like dictionary, grammar and phonology of the Mising language.
  • His work on his mother tongue, Mising, is his invaluable contribution to the Mising community and also to the Assamese people and culture at large.

Punjab CM launches job helpline under ‘Ghar Ghar Rozgar’ programme
  • In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, the Punjab government launched a job helpline for job-seekers. As part of the state government’s flagship ‘Ghar Ghar Rozgar’ programme, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said it would help connect job-seekers and job providers and open up job opportunities for thousands.
  • The helpline aims to reach every household in Punjab and is designed to call 75,000 mobile and landline numbers a day through a 110-seat back-end call centre.
  • The Chief Minister asked the Secretary of the Employment Generation and Training Department, which has come up with the initiative, to popularise it to enable youth, especially in the rural areas, to get the maximum benefit from the helpline.
  • Singh also asked the department to intensify its efforts to provide job opportunities to youth to tap their massive latent potential.
  • He stressed synergy among the Department of Employment Generation and Training, the Technical Education and the industries to create job opportunities for youth.

Pavan Kapoor appointed as Ambassador to UAE
  • Pavan Kapoor, a 1990 batch Indian Foreign Service officer took charge as the new Ambassador to UAE. Ambassador Kapoor replaced Navdeep Singh Suri, who retired last month.
  • During his diplomatic career Pavan Kapoor has served in different capacities at the Indian Missions in Moscow, Kyiv, London and Geneva.
  • Mr Kapoor served as the Ambassador to Israel.
  • He has also served in the Ministry of External Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi.
  • Pavan Kapoor was India’s High Commissioner to Mozambique and the Kingdom of Swaziland from January 2014 to February 2016.
  • He has an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad and also holds a Masters in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics.

Odisha govt signs MoU with J-PAL South Asia
  • The Odisha government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) South Asia to engage in a strategic evidence-based approach to policy making.
  • The partnership targets to maximise the impact of anti-poverty programmes of the state across a wide range of sectors.
  • J-PAL is co-founded by Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, joint winners of 2019 Nobel Prize in economics for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.
  • Under this partnership, J-PAL South Asia will provide the Odisha government technical assistance for scaling up evidence backed programmes to improve development outcomes across the state.
  • This partnership aims at bringing transformation in the lives of people through research based intervention in policy formulation.
  • The partnership also establishes an overarching collaboration between J-PAL South Asia and the state government under which J-PAL will work with several departments to conduct policy-relevant randomised evaluations of new anti-poverty and development programmes.
  • Additionally, a diagnostic exercise and subsequent workshops will be conducted to build state capacity in the area of monitoring and evaluation.
  • The MoU was signed by Odisha Development Commissioner Suresh Mahapatra and Executive Director of J-PAL South Asia Shobhini Mukerji in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
  • J-PAL and the state government will conduct an annual policy dialogue to identify the government”s top policy priorities, conduct discussions to share evidence, and jointly come up with innovative solutions that can be field-tested through rigorous randomised evaluations.
  • Topics for the policy dialogues include malnutrition, women”s empowerment, distress migration, health-worker performance, and improving agricultural productivity.

FACTFILE – The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)

  • J-PAL is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence.
  • J-PAL conducts randomized impact evaluations to answer critical questions in the fight against poverty, and builds partnerships with governments, NGOs, donors, and others to generate new research, share knowledge, and scale up effective programs.
  • J-PAL was founded in 2003 as the “Poverty Action Lab” by professors Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Sendhil Mullainathan, to support randomized evaluations measuring interventions against poverty on topics ranging from agriculture and health to governance and education.
  • The Lab was renamed in honor of Sheikh Abdul Latif Jameel when his son, MIT alumnus Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, supported it with three major endowments in 2005.
  • 2019 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel has been awarded to J-PAL founder Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty”.


November 02, 2019


IIT Guwahati, PCBA join hands to tackle air pollution
  • The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati and the Pollution Control Board Assam (PCBA) have joined hands to tackle the problem of air pollution in some major urban centres of the state, including Guwahati.
  • The two have joined hands under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) launched by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
  • IIT-G and PCBA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently in this regard.
  • Under the project, IIT-G and PCBA will work together to deal with air pollution in Guwahati, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar and Silchar.
  • In these urban centres, the particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) levels exceed the annual average ambient air quality standard of 60 microgram per cubic metre.
  • PCBA will work to prepare city-specific interventions and action plans with the target of reducing PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations by at least 20 to 30 per cent by 2024. IIT-G will act as the technical partner.
  • The institute will assist PCBA in carrying out air pollution studies like identifying critical sources, building state-of-the-art air quality monitoring networks, and investigating mitigations in the five identified towns and cities and implementing them with the help of the Board.
  • NCAP was launched in January as part of the government’s agenda to put in place a time-bound national level strategy for pan India implementation to tackle the increasing air pollution problem across the country in a comprehensive manner.
  • The approach for NCAP includes collaborative, multi-scale and cross-sectoral coordination between the relevant Central ministries, state governments and local bodies.
  • NCAP’s objective is to have comprehensive mitigation actions for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution, besides augmenting the air quality monitoring network across the country and strengthening the awareness and capacity building activities.

India-US Economic and Financial Partnership Meeting
  • At the Seventh Meeting of the India-US Economic and Financial Partnership, India and the US on Friday discussed trade issues and also resolved to boost cooperation in tackling money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT).
  • India and the US discussed policies to stimulate economic growth and noted the significant steps India has taken to strengthen the financial sector, including Public Sector Bank recapitalization and plans to merge some of the state-owned banks.
  • Both sides also discussed capital flows, investment promotion related issues, and the external economic environment.
  • The Indian delegation was led by Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance, and the US delegation was led by Steven Mnuchin, US Secretary of the Treasury.
  • Both sides had in-depth exchanges of views on a range of issues such as the global, US, and Indian economic outlooks, global debt sustainability, financial sector reforms, leveraging of capital flows and investment, and tackling money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT)
  • Both sides are committed to greater economic cooperation on global economic issues, both bilaterally and multilaterally in the G20 and other fora.
  • Both sides are working together to attract more private sector capital to finance India”s infrastructure needs and further raise growth for both countries.
  • Both sides took note of the importance of having greater attention to transparency and debt sustainability in bilateral development lending.
  • Both sides appreciated the recent signing of an arrangement that enables automatic exchange of Country-by Country Reports for purposes of high level transfer pricing risk assessment.
  • Both sides are encouraged with the developments that have taken place since the last meeting of the Economic and Financial Partnership and look forward to continued engagement to strengthen our bilateral relationship, our economies and our economic security.

D.C. Raina appointed as the first Advocate General of J&K UT
  • Senior advocate D.C. Raina was appointed as the first Advocate General of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
  • The appointment was made by Lt Governor G.C. Murmu a day after the Union Territory came into being.
  • The UT was carved out of the state of Jammu and Kashmir along with abolition of its special status granted under Article 370 of the Constitution of India.

India, Germany inks pacts in various fields & resolved to jointly combat terrorism
  • India and Germany inked over 20 agreements, including in the field of Artificial Intelligence, green urban mobility and agriculture, and resolved to jointly combat terrorism.
  • German Chancellor Angela Merkel held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of the 5th Inter Governmental Consultations.
  • While strengthening Cooperation in the Field of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation formed a major part of the joint statement, there was also a large section on combating terrorism.
  • Both sides are also focusing on strategic cooperation in the field of new and advanced technology.
  • The two sides have stressed on cooperation in the fields of new and advanced technology, Artificial Intelligence, skills, education, cyber security.
  • The two countries have also agreed to explore cooperation in news areas like e-mobility, fuel cell technology, smart cities, inland water ways, coastal management, cleaning of rivers and climate change.
  • The five Declarations of Intent, were in the field of Consultations for the period 2020-2024, cooperation in strategic projects, in green urban mobility, for joint cooperation in research and development in the field of Artificial and Intelligence and in the field of prevention of marine litter.
  • The 17 MoUs included for Exchange of Personnel between ISRO and German Aerospace Centre, Cooperation in the Field of Civil Aviation, Cooperation within the International Smart Cities Network, Cooperation in Skills Development and Vocational Education and Training, in the field of Start-ups, in Agricultural Market Development, among others.
  • The others included cooperation in Inland, Coastal and Maritime Technology, Setting up of Academic Collaboration in Ayurveda, Yoga and Meditation, in Higher Education, between All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Deutscher FuAYball-Bund e.V (DFB), and on Indo-German Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement.

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                              Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz


November 03, 2019


 French Development Agency (AFD) to provide Rs 400 crore loan to Assam
  • The French Development Agency (AFD) will provide a Rs 400-crore loan to Assam to implement a forest and biodiversity conservation project.
  • The agreement signed in the presence of French ambassador Emmanuel Lenain.
  • The Rs 251.50-crore Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Phase I was co-funded by AFD and the State government and it covered the entire State in a phase manner.
  • The Phase I of the project, implemented by 32 territorial divisions, seven wildlife divisions and 13 social forestry divisions, ended in May this year.
  • The project vision is to enable sustainable forest and biodiversity conservation and management in Assam through multi-scale integrative planning and involvement of forest dependent communities in target areas and giving fillip to their livelihood activities through sustainable use of forest and non-forest resources.
  • There are three components of the project – conservation of ecosystems, community engagement and institutional strengthening of forest department – to be implemented over a period of five years.
  • The counterpart funding of Rs 100 crore for the second phase of the project will be done by the State government.

FACTFILE – The French Development Agency

  • AFD is a public financial institution that implements the policy defined by the French Government. It works to fight poverty and promote sustainable development.
  • This public institution is active in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean and the French overseas territories, where it finances and supports projects that improve living conditions for populations, promote economic growth and protect the planet.
  • In 2014, AFD earmarked EUR 8.1bn to finance projects in developing countries and for the French overseas territories, a commitment up by 4% compared to 2013.
  • Its headquarters is located in Paris. Its teams are based in Paris, Marseille and in a network of 72 agencies and representations abroad and in the French overseas territories.

West Bengal, UNICEF jointly set 5-step agenda to fight malnutrition
  • The West Bengal government and UNICEF have come together to implement a five-step agenda laying stress on empowering families and building a healthy food environment to fight the triple burden of malnutrition.
  • The UNICEF”s flagship report – The State of the World’s Children (SOWC) – for this year has focused on food and nutrition, given the importance of healthy diets, especially among children and young people.
  • The report says that poor diet is damaging children’s health, and that poverty, urbanisation, climate change and poor eating choices are driving unhealthy diets.
  • The SOWC report calls for a shift in the way the authorities address and respond to malnutrition.
  • Children across the world are facing a triple burden of malnutrition in the form of undernutrition (stunting and wasting), hidden hunger (deficiencies in micronutrients) and overweight (including obesity).
  • The topmost priority in the five-step agenda is empowering families, children and young people to demand nutritious food, including by improving nutrition education.
  • There is also stress on collecting, analysing and using good-quality data and evidence to guide action and track progress.

PM Modi releases commemorative coin on Guru Nanak and thai translation of ‘Tirukkural’
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a commemorative coin marking the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. Besides releasing a Thai translation of the Tamil classic ”Tirukkural” at the ”Sawasdee PM Modi” community event in Bangkok.
  • Tirukkural is written by poet Thiruvalluvar and has been translated into many languages. The Tamil community in Thailand got it translated into Thai language for the first time.

FACTFILE – The Tirukkural

  • Tirukkural is a classic Tamil language text consisting of 1,330 couplets or Kurals. The text is divided into three books, each with aphoristic teachings on virtue, wealth and love.
  • It is considered as one of the great works on ethics and morality, is known for its universality and secular nature.
  • Its authorship is traditionally attributed to Valluvar, also known in full as Thiruvalluvar. The text has been dated variously from 300 BCE to 5th century CE.
  • The traditional accounts describe it as the last work of the third Sangam, but linguistic analysis suggests a later date of 450 to 500 CE and that it was composed after the Sangam period.
  • The Kural is traditionally praised with epithets and alternate titles such as “the Tamil Veda” and “the divine book”. It emphasizes non-violence and moral vegetarianism as virtues for an individual.
  • In addition, it highlights truthfulness, self-restraint, gratitude, hospitality, kindness, goodness of wife, duty, giving, and so forth, besides covering a wide range of social and political topics such as king, ministers, taxes, justice, forts, war, greatness of army and soldier’s honor, death sentence for the wicked, agriculture, education, abstinence from alcohol and intoxicants.
  • The Kural has been widely admired by scholars and has been translated into at least 40 Indian and non-Indian languages.

China launches high-resolution Earth observation satellite ‘Gaofen-11’
  • China launched Gaofen-11, an optical remote sensing satellite, as part of its high-resolution Earth observation project.
  • The Gaofen-11 satellite was launched on a Long March 4B rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in northern Shanxi Province. It was the 282nd flight mission by a Long March carrier rocket.
  • The satellite can be used for land survey, urban planning, road network design, agriculture, and disaster relief. Its data will also be used for the Belt and Road Initiative.

 India, EU launch call on research on developing local energy system
  • The European Commission and India”s Department of Science and Technology (DST) launched an 18 million euros joint call on research and innovation to develop integrated local energy systems.
  • Proposals should develop and demonstrate novel solutions, integrating all energy vectors including possibilities offered by batteries and electric vehicles, interconnect them and optimize joint operation with increased share of renewables and a higher energy efficiency.
  • Cooperation should take the form of a proposal demonstrating a local energy system (or several) in Europe and/or India.
  • The Technology Readiness Level (TRL) will range between 5 and 8.
  • The call text and call deadlines are the same for applicants from Europe and India.
  • This call targets minimum three participants from India as well as from Europe.
  • A total budget of euro 18 million is foreseen. The Indian selected participants will be funded by DST and the European partners by the EU Research and Innovation programme ”Horizon 2020”.


November 04, 2019


Union Govt and UNICEF launch ‘YuWaah’ initiative
  • A national initiative – YuWaah – aimed at imparting skills among the youth and providing employment to more than 300 million young Indians was launched by Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani with an alliance of national and international partners, including UNICEF.
  • India is one of the first countries to launch the YuWaah national initiative linked to the global Generation Unlimited movement which began in New York in September 2018.
  • Supported by Unicef, Generation Unlimited brings young people together with the private sector, governments, international and local organisations to tackle the urgent challenge of investing in their learning and training so that they are prepared for the complex and fast-changing world of work and can be active and engaged citizens.
  • On the occasion, Irani and Fore also launched a special “U-Report” digital survey, aimed at listening to and engaging youth throughout the country to ensure that their voices and solutions shape the actions of YuWaah! Partners.

NASSCOM, SAP India signed an MoU to skill, reskill and upskill workforce across industries
  • NASSCOM and business software solutions major SAP India signed an MoU to skill, reskill and upskill the workforce across industries.
  • The “FutureSkills” programme of IT industry”s apex body, launched in February 2018, aims to reskill 2 million professionals, potential employees as well as students in the industry over a period of next five years.
  • SAP will support NASSCOM”s “FutureSkills” with its skill development initiatives that focus on content, evangelism and industry connects, thus, enabling the skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling imperative for the IT-BPM industry and related stakeholders in the country.
  • SAP would provide content and enable select SAP experts as mentors for this programme while NASSCOM, through its “FutureSkills” platform, would host these content and expose the SAP mentors as experts on these technology domains which would be made available for the end beneficiaries on a zero-cost subscription model.
  • The automotive, textile, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), retail and IT-BPM are set be the most disrupted industry with the inclusion of AI, ML and data analytics, etc.
  • People from the IT, IT-enabled services industry workforce, potential workforce and college-going students are expected to benefit from the programme.

Satya Pal Malik takes oath as Governor of Goa
  • Satya Pal Malik was on Sunday sworn in as the Governor of Goa.
  • Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court Justice Pradeep Nandrajog administered the oath of office to Malik at Raj Bhavan.
  • Malik had earlier served as the governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
  • Malik, 73, replaced Mridula Sinha who was holding the Goa governor’s post since August 2014.

India and Uzbekistan signs 3 MoUs and initiated first-ever joint exercise ‘Dustlik 2019’
  • India and Uzbekistan inked three Memorandum of Understanding in Tashkent, Uzbekistan during the visit of Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh.
  • Pacts were inked in the field of Military Medicine and Military Education to further strengthen Defence cooperation between both the countries.
  • Rajnath Singh also held discussions with Uzbekistan’s Defence Minister Major Gen Nizamovich.
  • Singh and his Uzbekistan counterpart witnessed the first-ever exchange over a video-link between College of Defence Management in Secunderabad, India and the Armed Forces Academy of Uzbekistan, Tashkent.
  • The two Defence Ministers also presided over a curtain raiser of the first-ever India-Uzbekistan joint exercise Dustlik 2019.
  • Both Defence Ministers expressed satisfaction at the enhanced level of engagement between their respective countries in the defence sphere.
  • The defence ministers agreed that both nations would continue to work together to further raise their level of engagements in the defence sphere in keeping with strategic partnerships.

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                              Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz


November 05, 2019


 Assam gets 15 electric buses under ‘Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles’ (FAME-1)
  • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off 15 electric buses which were introduced under Assam State Transport Corporation in the city.
  • The new buses procured under ‘Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles’ (FAME-1) and introduced as a pilot project will ply from Panbazar to Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati.
  • The state government is working to transform Guwahati as the gateway to the South East Asian countries, the Chief Minister said that such a vision to materialise requires great deal of support from all sections of society.
  • The state government is likely to introduce 100 additional electric buses under FAME-2 for which necessary process have been started. Out of these buses 50 buses will ply in Guwahati, 25 each will be pressed into service at Jorhat and Silchar.

FACTFILE – The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020

  • The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 is a National Mission document providing the vision and the roadmap for the faster adoption of electric vehicles and their manufacturing in the country.
  • As part of the NEMMP 2020, Department of Heavy Industry formulated a Scheme viz. Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme in the year 2015 to promote manufacturing of electric and hybrid vehicle technology and to ensure sustainable growth of the same.
  • The Phase-I of this Scheme was initially launched for a period of 2 years, commencing from 1st April 2015, which was subsequently extended from time to time and the last extension was allowed up to 31st March 2019.
  • The 1st Phase of FAME India Scheme was implemented through four focus areas namely (i) Demand Creation, (ii) Technology Platform, (iii) Pilot Project and (iv) Charging Infrastructure.
  • Market creation through demand incentives was aimed at incentivizing all vehicle segments i.e. 2-Wheelers, 3-Wheelers Auto, Passenger 4-Wheeler vehicles, Light Commercial Vehicles and Buses.

India to launch National Disaster Management Scheme
  • Urging all SCO countries towards joint assistance in dealing with earthquakes, Home Minister Amit Shah said India would soon come up with a national scheme which would not only cover the disaster risk renewal Sendai Framework but also the goals of permanent development and climate related agreement.
  • Shah said India has completed the amendment process in the country’s National Disaster Management Scheme launched in 2016.
  • Shah said that all 28 states, nine Union Territories and 90 per cent districts have completed their disaster management schemes.
  • Shah said will come up with a national scheme which not only would cover disaster risk renewal Sendai framework but also the goals of permanent development and climate related agreement.
  • Sendai Framework is a 15-year, voluntary, non-binding agreement which recognizes that the state has the primary role in reducing disaster risk but that responsibility should be shared with other stakeholders, including local government, the private sector and other stakeholders.
  • The Joint Exercise on Urban Earthquake Search and Rescue 2019 is a four-day exercise, which would help the SCO countries in a situation when they need the support of others to deal with any disaster-like situation.

Odisha Govt inks pacts for youth skill development
  • The Odisha government has signed an MoU and two agreements with TATA Strive and Tech Mahindra for skill development and to create employment opportunities for the youth.
  • The Directorate of Technical Education and Training (DTE&T) and TATA Strive signed an agreement to impart life skills to students in all 49 government ITIs.
  • The Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) signed an agreement with Tech Mahindra to set up a state-of-the-art facility to start its operations for international BPO for global customers.
  • A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Tech Mahindra, Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) and College of Engineering and Technology (CET) to set up a Centre of Excellence in the area of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).
  • The students will get an opportunity to work on proof of concept on real life business problems to keep up with the market demand and to enhance the employability of engineering students. Every year, 30 students will get training in the field of AI and ML for a period of 12 months.

IBM launch ‘SkillsBuildplatform for skilling students in collaboration with MSDE
  • IBM announced launch of SkillsBuild platform in collaboration with the Directorate General of Training under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
  • As part of the programme, a two-year advanced diploma in information technology (IT), networking and cloud computing will be offered at the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and the National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs).
  • The platform will also be extended to train ITI and NSTI faculty in artificial intelligence (AI) skills.
  • SkillsBuild offers digital learning content from IBM and partners, like CodeDoor, Coorpacademy and Skillsoft.
  • The digital platform will also provide personal assessment for cognitive capabilities and personality via MyInnerGenius to students. They will then learn basics about digital technologies as well as professional skills, like resume writing, problem solving and communication.
  • Students will also receive recommendations on role-based education for specific jobs, that include technical and professional learning.

November 06, 2019


 Assam CM opens Brahmaputra Pushkar Mahotsav
  • Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the Brahmaputra Pushkar Mahotsav, a mega river festival on the bank of the Brahmaputra in Guwahati highlighting the river’s important role in Assam’s sociocultural life.
  • The Pushkar Mahotsav, to be held for 12 days from November 5 to November 16, is a river festival which is organised on the banks of 12 important rivers in India, including the Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Kaveri, etc.
  • The festival occurs once in every 12 years for each river. As per mythological beliefs, Pushkar is celebrated on the banks of each river according to the zodiac sign of that river.
  • The Mahotsav has been organised at Sonaram High School Field at Bharalumukh here by the Purva Tirupathi Sri Balaji Samiti, Guwahati in collaboration with the Sri Mahalakshmi Charitable Trust, Chennai.
  • The State tourism department and a number of other departments are assisting the festival, which is supposed to host approximately two lakh devotees, mostly from South India.

Justice Rajendra Menon appointed AFT Chairperson
  • Former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, Justice (Retired) Rajendra Menon was appointed the new Chairperson of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT).
  • The tenure of appointment of Justice (Retired) Menon will be for a period of three years from the date of assumption of charge of the post or till he attains the age of 70 years, or until further orders, whichever is the earliest
  • The tribunal, established by the government of India, has the power provided for adjudication or trial of disputes and complaints with respect to commission, appointments, enrolments and conditions of service in respect of persons subject to the Army Act, 1950, The Navy Act, 1957 and the Air Force Act, 1950.

FACTFILE – Armed Forces Tribunal

  • Armed Forces Tribunal is a military tribunal in India. It was established under the Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007.
  • In 1999, the Law Commission’s 169th report stated that disciplinary and service matters required quick resolutions and proposed a special tribunal for the military and paramilitary forces.
  • Armed forces tribunal bill was steered through Parliament only by the Defence Ministry, leaving paramilitary forces, even the Assam Rifles and Coast Guard, outside the tribunal’s purview.

IIT Madras launches first indigenously designed standing wheelchair
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Madras has launched country’s ‘first indigenously’ designed standing wheelchair- ‘Arise’ for assisting the specially-abled person in day to day activities.
  • These customised wheelchairs enable a differently-abled person to shift from sitting to standing position and vice-versa independently.
  • Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot was also present at the launch of ‘Arise’.
  • Lauding the efforts of IIT Madras, Gehlot said, IIT Madras has done a wonderful job, I have never seen such a standing wheelchair even in a foreign country.
  • He also stated that ministry will be extended the necessary help, if required to extend the benefits of this initiative to more and more specially-able citizens.

P S Sreedharan Pillai sworn-in as the new Governor of Mizoram
  • P S Sreedharan Pillai was sworn-in as the new Governor of Mizoram at the Raj Bhavan.
  • The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Justice Ajai Lamba.
  • Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthangam his cabinet colleagues, legislators, former chief minister Lal Thanhawla and senior officials attended the swearing-in ceremony.

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                              Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz


November 07, 2019


 Assam Governor adopts Morigaon as model district for agriculture
  • To develop agriculture and to use it for the socio-economic development of the people of the State, Governor Jagadish Mukhi has adopted Morigaon district for development of agriculture and allied activities.
  • Governor Mukhi said that the Morigaon district has enormous potential as most of the people are associated with agriculture, so developing the district in agriculture will lead to capacity building of its people. Moreover, as practising the single-cropping system amounts to inadequate use of land resources, the Governor also advised the farmers to adhere to multi-cropping system.
  • The Governor also distributed power tillers, rickshaws for carrying agriculture goods and electric water pump sets.
  • The Department of Fisheries, Assam has already initiated an effort under ‘Morigaon Special intervention of the Governor of Assam Project: 2019-2022’ to develop supporting infrastructure to achieve sustainable development in fisheries.

India, Russia to expand military technical cooperation
  • India and Russia are working on a programme of military technical cooperation by 2030, Work is underway to agree on a programme of Russian-Indian military-technical cooperation till 2030.
  • The Russian government said after a meeting between Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov and Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Moscow
  • During the meeting, Borisov noted that despite of external pressure, Russia and India are successfully implementing joint cooperation in the military-technical sphere, particularly the supply of S-400 air defence systems.
  • The topics of discussion included a wide range of issues related to bilateral military technical cooperation, as well as interaction in the field of science and high-tech.

Nasscom Foundation rewards 7 entities for social impact
  • The Nasscom Foundation, the Indian IT industry body’s social arm, and software firm Mphasis declared Rs 60 lakh in grants to seven entities for innovatively applying technology for social impact.
  • The seven entities recognised as part of the National Association of Software and Services Companies” (Nasscom) Social Innovation Forum include Meraki Foundation, Inali Foundation, Padcare Labs, MHS City Lab, Watsan Envirotech, Bombay Bijlee and Anukai Solutions.
  • Meraki Foundation was awarded for skilling low income parents to act early to unleash a child”s potential, PadCare Labs for sanitary napkin disposal and recycling solution and MHS City Lab for developing digital tools for affordable low-income housing, among others.
  • In addition to the catalytic grants, all the winners are eligible for industry mentorship worth Rs 20 lakh, offering a 12-month ”support to scale” mentoring from experts
  • As many as 15,000 entities applied in the categories of education, accessibility, healthcare, financial inclusion, environment and others.

 PM Modi inaugurated the 5th edition of the India International Science Festival (IISF)
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the fifth edition of the India International Science Festival (IISF) via video conference.
  • The theme of the festival – ‘RISEN: Research, Innovation and Science Empowering the Nation’
  • The function was attended by West Bengal Governor J Dhankar and Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardan.
  • Diplomats from Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, South Korea and the United Kingdom, among others, attended the conclave.

FACTFILE – India International Science Festival (IISF)

  • India International Science Festival (IISF) launched in 2015 is a celebration to promote Science and Technology and demonstrate how science could lead India towards a developed nation within a short span of time.
  • The aim is to engage the public with science and celebrate the joy of science and show the ways how science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) provide us with the solutions to improve our lives.
  • Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences in association with Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA), has created a unique platform of India International Science Festival which intends to inspire curiosity and make learning more rewarding.

 

November 2019 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

Go To Assam Current Affairs                                                                              Go To Assam Current Affairs Quiz