Q1. India won how many medals at the Deaflympics 2021?
8
9
13
17
D. 17
2021 Summer Deaflympics medal table
Rank
NDSC
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
1
Ukraine (UKR)
62
38
38
138
2
United States (USA)
20
11
24
55
3
Iran (IRI)
14
12
14
40
4
Japan (JPN)
12
8
10
30
5
South Korea (KOR)
11
18
14
43
6
Poland (POL)
8
22
12
42
7
Turkey (TUR)
8
19
17
44
8
France (FRA)
8
3
5
16
9
India (IND)
8
1
8
17
Q2. Which country hosted the Summer Deaflympics 2021?
Spain
Argentina
China
Brazil
D. Brazil
The 2021 Summer Deaflympics, officially known as the XXIV Summer Deaflympic Games, and commonly known as Caxias 2021, was the international multi-sport event held in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, as the main host city from 1 May to 15 May 2022. In addition to Caxias, there are events scheduled for the neighboring cities of Farroupilha and Flores da Cunha. On April 12, 2022, CISS has announced that due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian and Belarussian athletes were barred from competing in Caxias do Sul, and in the same press release it was also announced that the bowling tournament was scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during October 20–30, 2022.
Q3. China has reportedly planned a project named Closeby Habitable Exoplanet Survey to hunt habitable exoplanets around sun-like stars?
US
China
UK
Japan
B. China
China is reportedly planning a project named Closeby Habitable Exoplanet Survey to hunt habitable exoplanets around sun-like stars.
Q4. Who is appointed as the new Chief Minister of Tripura?
Manik Saha
Manik Sarkar
Biplab Kumar Deb
S.N. Arya
A. Manik Saha
Q5. Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary was recently declared as India’s 52nd tiger reserve. It is located in which state?
Chhattisgarh
Assam
Rajasthan
Uttar Pradesh
C. Rajasthan
Rajasthan’s Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary is now India’s 52nd tiger reserve. With this new addition, India now has a total of 52 tiger reserves.
Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary is located between Rajasthan’s famous Ranthambore Tiger Reserve and Mukundra Hills Tiger. The area is an important tiger corridor.
The new sanctuary is Rajasthan’s fourth tiger reserve. The three others are Ranthambore, Sariska and Mukundra.
Q6. India recorded how much annual FDI inflow in FY 2021-22?
USD 95.20 billion
USD 85.87 billion
USD 83.57 billion
USD 78.70 billion
C. USD 83.57 billion
India has recorded the highest ever annual FDI inflow of USD 83.57 billion in the Financial Year 2021-22,” it noted. FDI equity inflow in manufacturing sectors has increased by 76 per cent in 2021-22 (USD 21.34 billion) compared to 2020-21 (USD 12.09 billion)
Q7. Which University has been ranked first among all public universities in India by Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2022?
Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Calcutta University
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
C. Calcutta University
Q8. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad is a strategic security dialogue between which of the countries?
Australia, India, Japan, and the United States
Australia, UK, Japan, and the United States
India, Japan, UK and the United States
India, China, Japan, and the United States
A. Australia, India, Japan, and the United States
Q9. What is the surplus transfer by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to the Govt for 2021-22?
Rs 25201 crores
Rs 29500 crores
Rs 30307 crores
Rs 38784 crores
C. Rs 30307 crores
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will transfer Rs 30,307 crore as surplus to the government for 2021-22. RBI decided that after maintaining the contingency risk buffer at 5.50 per cent of its balance sheet.
Q10. ‘India Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC)’ is associated with which Ministry of Indian Govt.?
Ministry of Electronics and IT
Ministry of Science and Technology
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of External Affairs
D. Ministry of External Affairs
India Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme is an initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs, wherein participants from ITEC member countries are trained. India increased the ITEC slots from 30 to 60 for Jamaica.
Q11. India’s rank in global production of coal is
Second
Fourth
Fifth
Seventh
A. Second
The top six largest coal-producing countries in the world
China – 3.7 billion tonnes
India – 783 million tonnes
United States – 640 million tonnes
Indonesia – 616 million tonnes
Australia – 550 million tonnes
Russia – 430 million tonnes
Q12. India signed ‘Investment Incentive Agreement (IIA)’ with which country?
Japan
Singapore
Saudi Arabia
USA
D. USA
India and the United States recently signed the Investment Incentive Agreement (IIA) in Tokyo. It is a legal requirement for US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to continue providing investment support in India. This agreement will lead to enhanced investment support from the development finance institution in several sectors.
Q13. Which city hosts the 51st annual summit of the World Economic Forum?
Davos, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland
New York, US
London, UK
A. Davos, Switzerland
The World Economic Forum celebrates the 51st edition of its annual meeting in the Swiss city of Davos in May 2022.
Q14. Which country is the top-most investor in India during fiscal year 2021-22?
Singapore
Mauritius
USA
UAE
A. Singapore
India has recorded highest ever annual FDI inflow of USD 83.57 billion in the Financial Year 2021-22. FDI equity inflow in manufacturing sectors has increased by 76 per cent in 2021-22. Singapore was the topmost investor in India last fiscal year, accounting for 27% of the FDI, followed by the US at 18% and Mauritius at 16%. In 2020-21, the inflows were USD 81.97 billion.
Q15.Indian Navy recently undertook Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) Exercise with
China
Myanmar
Indonesia
Bangladesh
D. Bangladesh
Karnataka is the top recipient state with 38 per cent share of the total FDI equity inflow reported during the FY 2021-22 followed by Maharashtra (26 per cent) and Delhi (14 per cent)
Q1. Which Indian Bank launched the ‘Open-for-all’ Digital ecosystem for MSMEs?
HDFC Bank
Asix Bank
State Bank of India
ICICI Bank
D. ICICI Bank
ICICI Bank has launched ‘Open-for-all’ Digital ecosystem for MSMEs. The digital service for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) can be used by customers of other banks.
One of the new services it provides is sanction of instant and paperless overdraft facility up to Rs 25 lakh through ‘InstaOD Plus’. The feature enables customers of any bank to avail of an overdraft instantly.
Q2. Which is the first airline in Asia to use the ‘GAGAN’ satellite-based navigation system during landing?
IndiGo
Air India
Air Asia
Vistara Airlines
A. IndiGo
IndiGo became the first airline in Asia to use the indigenously developed satellite-based navigation system ‘GAGAN’ during landing.
The system has been jointly developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Indian Space Research Organisation. It provides corrections to the global positioning system (GPS) signal to improve air traffic management, with the help of reference and uplink stations.
Q3. World Bee Day is celebrated on
May 20
April 10
May 05
April 09
A. May 20
World Bee Day is celebrated on May 20. On this day Anton Janša, the pioneer of beekeeping, was born in 1734. The purpose of the international day is to acknowledge the role of bees and other pollinators for the ecosystem.
Q4. Atal New India Challenge is a flagship program of Atal Innovation Mission of which institution?
Parliament of India
NASSCOM
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
NITI Aayog
D. NITI Aayog
Q5. Which organisation releases the State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) Report?
Forest Survey of India
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)
D. Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)
Q6. The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) signed an MoU with which major telecom operators for cooperation in the area of IoT/M2M?
Reliance Jio
BSNL
Vodafone India
Airtel
C. Vodafone India
C-DOT and Vodafone Idea Limited sign MoU for cooperation in area of IoT/M2M.
Q7. The ‘Vulture Gene Bank’ is to be set up in which city for conservation of the critically-endangered species?
Jodhpur
Mangaluru
Mysuru
Haridwar
C. Mysuru
Q8. The headquarters of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is located in
Geneva
London
New York
Singapore
A. Geneva
Q9. Who Directed the India – Bangladesh co-production feature film ‘Mujib– The Making of a Nation’?
Rituporno Ghosh
Shyam Benegal
Chashi Nazrul Islam
Humayun Ahmed
B. Shyam Benegal
Mujib: The Making of a Nation is an upcoming Bangladeshi Bengali-language biographical film directed by Shyam Benegal. It stars Arifin Shuvoo as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first President of Bangladesh popularly known as Bangabandhu, who lead his country to independence.
Q10. Which is the top ranked Indian firm in the Forbes’ latest Global 2000 list of public companies?
Reliance Industries
Tata Sons
Adani Enterprises
State Bank of India
A. Reliance Industries
Q11. Which state was crowned as the champion of the 12th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2022?
Bihar
Karnataka
Jharkhand
Odisha
D. Odisha
Odisha were crowned as the champions of the 12th Hockey India Senior Women National Championship 2022. Odisha clinched a 2-0 victory over Karnataka in the final of the competition, held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
Jharkhand earned a third-place finish in the competition after defeating Haryana.
Q12. Which is the first state in India to surpass 10 GW of cumulative large-scale solar installations?
Karnataka
Uttar Pradesh
Rajasthan
Gujarat
C. Rajasthan
Rajasthan became the first state in India to surpass 10 GW of cumulative large-scale solar installations, as per Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker
Q13. Which tennis player won the Italian Open 2022 women’s single title?
Ashleigh Barty
Ankita Raina
Naomi Osaka
Iga Swiatek
D. Iga Swiatek
Q14. Who won a gold medal recently in the 52kg flyweight category at the Women’s World Boxing Championships to become the fifth Indian woman to win a gold medal in a world championship?
Nikhat Zareen
Pinki Jangra
Laishram Sarita Devi
Lovlina Borgohain
A. Nikhat Zareen
A 25-year-old boxer from the southern Indian state of Telangana has become the fifth Indian woman to win a gold medal in a world championship. Nikhat Zareen on Thursday beat Thailand’s Jitpong Jutamas in the 52kg flyweight category at the Women’s World Boxing Championships held at Istanbul, Turkey. 20-05-2022
Q15. Which state was the top recipient of FDI equity inflows in FY 2021-22?
Kerala
Karnataka
Andhra Pradesh
Maharashtra
B. Karnataka
Karnataka is the top recipient state with 38 per cent share of the total FDI equity inflow reported during the FY 2021-22 followed by Maharashtra (26 per cent) and Delhi (14 per cent)
Q1. Which was the top recipient country for remittances in 2021?
China
Bangladesh
India
Russia
C.India
The top five recipient countries for remittances in 2021 were India, Mexico, China, the Philippines, and Egypt.
According to the World Bank’s latest Migration and Development Brief, remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries are expected to increase by 4.2 percent this year to reach USD 630 billion. Remittances to Ukraine, which is the largest recipient in Europe and Central Asia, are expected to rise by over 20 percent in 2022.
Q2. Where is the first Incredible India International Cruise Conference (IIICC) held in 2022?
Ahmedabad
Kolkata
Vishakhapatnam
Mumbai
D. Mumbai
Union Tourism Minister, G. Kishan Reddy inaugurated the first Incredible India International Cruise Conference (IIICC) in Mumbai.
He also invited domestic and international tourists to ‘Come, Cruise in India.’ It was jointly organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the Government of India and FICCI. Eight Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) were signed during the conference.
Q3. Which institution/organization has launched the ‘National Data & Analytics Platform (NDAP)’?
C-DAC
NIELIT
NITI Aayog
NASSCOM
C. NITI Aayog
NITI Aayog launched the National Data & Analytics Platform (NDAP) for open public use. The platform aims to democratize access to public government data by making data accessible, interactive, and available on a user-friendly platform.
It presents foundational datasets from various government agencies and provides tools for analytics and visualization. This public launch follows a beta release of the platform in August 2021 that had provided access to a limited number of users for testing and feedback.
Q4. What is India’s retail inflation in April 2022, as it touched its highest point in eight years?
11.8 %
7. 85 %
7.50 %
7.79 %
D. 7.79 %
India’s retail inflation in April 2022 surged to 7.79 per cent in April, largely driven by rising fuel and food prices, touching its highest point in last eight years.
The previous high was recorded at 8.33 per cent in May 2014. 6.95 per cent inflation is recorded in the month of March. Food inflation accounted for nearly half the consumer price index (CPI) basket, reached high in April. Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) upper tolerance limit for retail inflation is 6 %.
Q5. The first state in India to offer breakfast in government schools?
Maharashtra
Kerala
Punjab
Tamil Nadu
D. Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu has become the first state in the country to offer breakfast in government schools, along with the mid-day meal.
Chief Minister MK Stalin announced the breakfast scheme for students studying in Classes 1 to 5 in the state. The special nutritional scheme is based on a public health study by the government on the malnourished children in the state. Tamil Nadu was also a pioneer of the midday meal scheme
Q6. Which is the first Indian company to cross USD 100 billion annual revenue?
TCS
Adani Industries
Reliance Industries
Adani Ports Industries
C. Reliance Industries
Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd first became the first Indian company to cross USD 100 billion annual revenue.
For the fiscal 2021-22, Reliance reported a net profit of ₹60,705 crore on a revenue of ₹7.92 lakh crore (USD 102 billion). The earnings rose due to the high oil refining margins, growth in telecom and digital services and strong retail business. Rise in broadband subscribers, online retail and new energy investment are also the reasons for rise in earnings.
Q7. ‘Tomato Flu’, which is in the news recently, is endemic to which state?
Punjab
Andhra Pradesh
Kerala
Tamil Nadu
C. Kerala
After the recent outbreak of ‘Tomato flu’, which was endemic to Kerala, the neighbouring states are ramping up surveillance to prevent the disease.
The tomato flu is a rare viral disease, which causes fever, skin irritation, rashes and dehydration. It affects children below five years of age and gets its name from the large red-coloured blisters it causes. There is no specific drug and the infected children are to be isolated, as it is contagious like other flu types.
Q8. India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) is being setup between
Delhi and Mumbai
Delhi and Meerut
Mumbai and Pune
Delhi and Noida
B. Delhi and Meerut
Q9. Who received the 2022 World Food Prize from the World Food Prize Foundation?
Cynthia Rosenzweig
Rattan Lal
Fazle Hasan Abed
Sanjaya Rajaram
A. Cynthia Rosenzweig
Cynthia Rosenzweig, a senior research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), received the 2022 World Food Prize from the World Food Prize Foundation.
World Food Prize is a prestigious award conceived as the ‘Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture’. Rosenzweig was selected for the award for her research to understand the relationship between climate and food systems and forecast how they will change in the future.
Q10.Rakhigarhi is a Harappan site located in which state?
Gujarat
Rajasthan
Haryana
Uttar Pradesh
C. Haryana
As per the Archaeological Survey of India, the latest round of excavations at the Rakhigarhi in Haryana’s Hisar has revealed street system on raised platforms, houses with extensive layouts, and a drainage system.
It is a 5,000-year-old Harappan site and was one of the five iconic sites announced in the 2020 Budget Speech. The site is also considered the biggest Harappan-era site.
Q11. As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), what is the new Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in India?
2.5
2.3
2.0
1.8
C. 2.0
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) which is measured as the average number of children per woman has come down from 2.2 to 2.0 at the national level between NFHS-4 and 5. There are only five states in India, which are above the replacement level of fertility of 2.1. This includes Bihar (2.98), Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Manipur.
Q12. India’s rank in the ‘RSF 2022 World Press Freedom Index’ is
98
107
134
150
D. 150
According to the RSF 2022 World Press Freedom Index, India’s ranking has fallen down to 150th position from last year’s 142nd place.
Norway (1st) Denmark (2nd) and Sweden (3rd) were ranked at the top positions, while North Korea remained at the bottom of the list of 180 countries and territories. Reporters sans frontieres (RSF) or Reporters without Borders, a global media watch-dog releases the report every year.
Q13. India’s first green-field grain-based ethanol plant has been inaugurated in
Uttar Pradesh
Bihar
Chhattisgarh
Gujarat
B. Bihar
India’s first greenfield grain-based ethanol plant is inaugurated in Purnea. The 105-crore plant by Eastern India Biofuels is the first one developed since the Centre gave approval to Bihar’s ethanol production and promotion policy-2021. The state government has proposed opening at least 17 ethanol plants over the next two years.
Q14.Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is a
an initiative to promote an open platform for all aspects of the exchange of goods and services through electronic networks.
an initiative to open e-commerce platforms in India to global players.
an initiative to promote an open platform for all aspects of the exchange of only services through electronic networks.
an initiative to promote similar pricing across ecommerce platforms for all goods and services through electronic networks.
A. an initiative to promote an open platform for all aspects of the exchange of goods and services through electronic networks.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry launched the pilot phase of the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
It is a first-of-its-kind initiative globally to pave way for democratising digital commerce to enhance the penetration of digital commerce in the country. The initiative aims to promote an open platform for exchange of goods and services through electronic networks. ONDC would standardise operations, promote inclusion of local suppliers and increase efficiencies in logistics.
Q15. First Indian state to set up a Gene Bank Project is
Haryana
Goa
Kerala
Maharashtra
D. Maharashtra
Maharashtra has announced to set up a ‘Gene bank project’, to conserve native and endangered animals, crops, marine and biological species. It will be implemented by the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board (MSBB) and Rs 172.39 crore has been allocated for the next five years.
The project will work on seven themes — marine, crop, veterinary, freshwater, grassland biodiversity, protection and management of forest right areas, and regeneration of forests. The project will focus on mitigating the impact on the food chain due to climate change.
Assam Assembly passed Assam Ease of Doing Business (Amendment) Bill, 2020
The Assam Legislative Assembly recently passed the Assam Ease of Doing Business (Amendment) Bill, 2020, to make amendments to the Assam Ease Of Doing Business Act, 2016. The amendment will avail 0.25% additional borrowing from the centre. The new bill will simplify procedures and bring transparency and efficiency in the system.
Key points of Assam Ease of Doing Business (Amendment) Bill, 2020 are
Under the new Amendment Bill, the government has committed to create an investor friendly atmosphere in the state of Assam.
The Government of Assam is to do away with all types of renewal certificate, permissions and licences under be Assam is of doing business Amendment Bill . This is being done because a large number of renewable applications are pending at different levels in Assam. This causes unreasonable delay .
A computerized Central random inspection system is to be implemented. Under the system allocation of inspectors will be done centrally at random. The amendment makes sure that the same Inspector is not assigned to the same unit in the subsequent year.
FACTFILE – Assam Ease of Doing Business Act 2016
The Act was enacted in 2016. The Act aimed to streamline the regulatory structures and processes and simplify the procedures related to renew license, certificate, permissions in setting up of Enterprises and industries in the state of Assam.
Under the provisions of the Act, Assam Bureau of Investment Promotion was established to oversee the overall supervision and administration of speedy processing of applications.
January 04, 2021
Asian Development Bank’s $231 mn loan to enhance generation capacity in Assam
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Union Government of India signed a $ 231 million loan to augment electricity generation capacity in the state of Assam through construction of a 120MW hydroelectric power plant that will enhance availability of electricity for households.
This is the third tranche loan for the ongoing Assam Power Sector Investment Programme that was approved by the ADB Board in July 2014. Its two previous tranches, focuses on enhancing capacity and efficiency of the energy generation and distribution systems in Assam to improve electricity service to end users.
The project will add to Assam’s power generation capacity from clean hydroelectric source and improve electricity availability. Increased supply of affordable and clean electricity facilitated through the project will help improve living conditions, promote business expansion, and increase employment opportunities in the state beside reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The proposed hydroelectric project is run-of-the-river project over Kopili river which will help increase electricity supplied from clean energy by 469 gigawatthour (GWh) by 2025 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 360,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
A $2 million grant from Japan fund for poverty reduction (JFPR) is also associated with the project to finance equipment and consulting services to improve capacity for resource management and community resilience.
January 07, 2021
Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia Appointed As Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court
Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia was sworn in as the new Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court. Gauhati High Court acting Chief Justice N Kotiswar Singh administered the oath of office to him during a programme in Raj Bhavan.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Law Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya, Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua, Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, high court judges and senior officials of the state government.
FACTFILE – Guwahati High Court
The Guwahati High Court was promulgated by the Governor general of India on 1 March 1948 after the Government of India Act 1935 was passed.
The High Court of Assam was established with effect from 5 April 1948, for the then Province of Assam. It was originally known as the High Court of Assam and Nagaland, but was renamed as Gauhati High Court in 1971 by the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.
It’s High Court with largest jurisdiction in terms of states, with its area covering the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Mizoram.
It has Circuit Benches at Kohima, Aizawl and Itanagar.
January 11, 2021
Assam govt to rehabilitate Dibru Saikhowa National Park forest villagers in Tinsukia & Lakhimpur districts
Assam government has decided to rehabilitate the forest villagers of Dibru Saikhowa National Park in Tinsukia and Lakhimpur districts. The villagers of Laika would be rehabilitated in groups in the degraded reserve forest areas of Paharpur, Saleki and Namphai of Digboi forest division in Tinsukia district. And, the villagers of Dadhia will be settled in groups in Adakhana area of Pabha reserve forest in Lakhimpur district.
The State government has constituted a committee headed by state forest minister Parimal Suklabaidya to monitor and support the process of relocation and rehabilitation.
Around 135 hectares of land in Pabha RF would be diverted to settle the inhabitants of Dadhia while 166 hectares in Paharpur RF and 72 hectares in Namphai RF would be diverted to settle people of Laika.
February 02, 2021
Assam launches Pragyan Bharati & Bhasha Gourab Scheme for Authors and Students
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched Pragyan Bharati & Bhasha Gourab Scheme to provide monetary assistance to college students and literary bodies of the state. The schemes- Pragyan Bharati and Bhasha Gourab awarded Rs 1500 to college students, Rs. 50 thousand to 600 writers and Rs 43 crore to 21 Sahitya Sabhas.
Under Pragyan Bharati scheme, 3,26,046 college students were given Rs 1,500 each for purchasing textbooks. A total of Rs 161 crore was reimbursed for the free admission of 4 lakh eligible students.
Under the Bhasha Gourab second scheme, the state government provided 21 Sahitya Sabhas with a total of Rs 43 crore as a contribution towards their corpus funds. Under this scheme, 600 authors have been provided with an amount of Rs 50,000 each to help in their literary activities.
February 10, 2021
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) Cabinet approves Grant-in-aid of Rs.100 crore to Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited, Assam
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today accorded approval to the proposal of the Department of Fertilizers for Grant-in-aid of Rs.100 crore to Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizers Corporation Limited (BVFCL), Namrup to sustain operations of it’s urea manufacturing units.
Despite being the first gas based urea manufacturing unit in India and having all the infrastructure and feedstock availability, it has been difficult to maintain reasonable production level from the existing units in a cost effective manner because of their old & obsolete technology. In order to ensure the safe, sustainable and economic operation of the plants, certain equipment and machineries need to be replaced/overhauled. The minimum functional repair to be undertaken for smoother operation of the plants with procurement of mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and catalyst items etc. shall attract an estimated expenditure of Rs.100 crores.
The grant in aid of Rs. 100 crore to BVFCL will restore the urea production capacity of 3.90 Lac MT per annum and ensure timely availability of Urea to Tea Industry & Farming Sector in the entire North Eastern region specially Assam.
FACTFILE – Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizers Corporation Limited (BVFCL)
BVFCL, Namrup is a Public Sector Undertaking formed as per Companies Act, under the administrative control of the Department of Fertilizers (DoF), Government of India.
Presently, the Company is operating its two vintage plants viz. Namrup-ll and Namrup-lll in the premises of BVFCL in Namrup.
BVFCL plays an important role of economic growth in the region.
February 12, 2021
Mandarin Duck spoted in Assam after 118 years
The Mandarin duck which is a colourful duck from eastern Asia was spotted in Assam recently after 118 years, by the team of avian specialists in the Maguri-Motapung Beel of Tinsukia district in eastern Assam. Spotting of the Mandarin has raised hopes for the wetland which was affected by a blowout and inferno at a natural gas well in the year 2020.
Mandarin duck is the habitat of eastern China and southern Japan. The duck does not come regularly to India. But some of the ducks may join other migratory birds and follow their migration path.
The spotted duck accompanied a flock of Indian spot-billed duck that was migrated either to China or Japan. The last Mandarin duck was spotted in Assam in the year 1902.
FACTFILE – Mandarin duck
The scientific name of mandarin duck is Aix galericulata. It is a perching duck species which is native to the East Palearctic.
The duck is closely related to North American wood duck.
The ducks were once widespread in East Asia region. But they were exported on large-scale so the population reduced in the eastern Russia and China. Further, the destruction of its forest habitat further accelerated the reduction in population so much so that the population reduced below 1,000 pairs in each of Russia and China. Japan has an estimated population of around 5,000 pairs.
February 18, 2021
Sarbananda Sonowal Inaugurated Centre of Perishable Cargo at LGBI Airport
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the Centre for Perishable Cargo (CPC) at Lokpriyo Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport. The Chief Minister also ceremonially flagged off an export cargo consignment of 600 kilograms of vegetables on the occasion of the inauguration.
This state-of-the-art facility will go a long way towards boosting exports of perishable produce, empowering farmers to add value to agri-products. The building will also solve infrastructure bottlenecks in exports.
The CPC was constructed with a total project cost of Rs 19 crore 84 lakhs where Rs 50 lakhs was contributed by the State Government and rest was borne by the Central Government.
The Cargo Centre is built with a 1705 square metre area which will contain cargo handling facilities for inbound and outbound cargo, cold storage along other measures to export agricultural perishable goods.
The CPC has been built by Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC).
Airports Authority of India had leased 4050 square metres of land to AIDC for a period of seven years from May 31, 2017, for setting up the CPC at LGBI Airport, Guwahati.
The CPC is set to have the capacity to handle 10000 Metric Tonnes of perishable cargo with a nominal licence fee of Re 1/per annum with no royalty, as per a Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India directive with approval of Cabinet.
The cargo centre will consist of a one-stop facilitation centre to process perishable cargo with Customs EDI facility and further Forward and Backward Linkage project under TIES (Trade Infrastructure Export Scheme) by Positioning Airlines, Freight Forwarders, Customs Broker House, FPO’s, banks, plant quarantine etc.
February 19, 2021
PM Modi launches ‘Mahabahu Brahmaputra’ project, lays foundation of 2 bridges in Assam
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on launched the ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’ and also layed the foundation stone of Dhubri Phulbari Bridge via video conferencing. He also performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Majuli Bridge.
The ’Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’ program is aimed at providing seamless connectivity to the Eastern parts of India and includes various development activities for the people living around River Brahmaputra and River Barak.
The launch of Mahabahu-Brahmaputra will be marked by the inauguration of the Ro-Pax vessel operations between Neamati-Majuli Island, North Guwahati-South Guwahati and Dhubri-Hatsingimari.
The Ro-Pax services will help in reducing travel time by providing connectivity between banks and thus reducing the distance to be travelled by road. Ro-Pax operation between Neamati and Majuli will reduce the total distance of 420 km currently being travelled by vehicles to only 12 km, resulting in a substantial impact on logistics of small-scale industries of the region.
The proposed Dhubri Phulbari Bridge will be located on NH-127B, originating from Srirampur on NH-27, and terminating at Nongstoin on NH-106 in Meghalaya. It will connect Dhubri in Assam to Phulbari, Tura, Rongram and Rongjeng in Meghalaya. The bridge, to be built with a total cost of approximately Rs 4,997 crores, will meet the long-standing demand of the people from Assam and Meghalaya. It will reduce the distance of 205 km to be travelled by road to 19 km, which is the total length of the bridge.
A permanent Inland Water Transport Terminal will also be built at Jogighopa under the programme, which will connect with the multi-modal logistics park also coming up there. This terminal will help in reducing traffic on the Siliguri Corridor towards Kolkata and Haldia. It will also facilitate uninterrupted movement of cargo even during the flood season to various North-Eastern states like Meghalaya and Tripura and to Bhutan and Bangladesh as well.
February 25, 2021
AIIB to provide $304 million for Assam Power Transmission Project
The Union Finance Ministry has announced that Indian government has signed a loan agreement with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for the Assam Power Transmission Project.
The loan agreement was signed worth $304 million, which will be used for strengthening the electricity transmission system in the state of Assam.
Total estimated cost of the Power Transmission project in Assam is $365 million, out of this, $304 million will be provided by AIIB. And the remaining amount will be provided by Assam govt.
This loan from AIIB has a maturity period of 24 years and a grace period of 5 years.
FACTFILE – Assam Power Transmission Project
This power transmission project will build new networks in the state that will ensure the affordable and reliable power supply in the state.
The project will also address the substantial energy deficit that the state of Assam faces because of congestion in transmission networks and electricity distribution.
The project comprises the laying down of a transmission line and construction of 10 transmission substations.
The project also seeks to strengthen the existing intra-state transmission network in the state by connecting it with new networks which will help in achieving the affordable, reliable, secure and efficient power.
March 5, 2021
Assam’s Red rice export to U.S.
The first consignment of Assam’s ‘Red rice’ was flagged off on March 4, 2021 to the United States, by rice exporter ‘LT Foods’.
The ceremony of the flagging-off of the export consignments was carried out by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) Chairman Dr. M. Angamuthu in Haryana. The APEDA is involved in promoting rice exports with the help of several stakeholders along the value chain. The government had also set up a “Rice Export Promotion Forum (REPF)” under the parent head of APEDA.
Rice Export from India
The non-basmati rice exports of India have increased to Rs 26,058 crore for the months of April-January 2020-21 as compared to the exports of Rs 11,543 crore for the same period in the fiscal year 2019-2020.
FACTFILE – Red Rice
The red rice, also called as the ‘Bao-dhaan’, is rich in Iron and is grown in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam. It is grown without using any chemical fertilisers.
FACTFILE – Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)
APEDA is the Apex-Export Trade Promotion Active government body, came into effect from February 1986.
The body was set up by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It was set up under the APEDA Act 1985.
April 14, 2021
Bohag Bihu Bird Count 2021 begins
On April 14, 2021, the Bohag Bihu Bird count began in Assam. The Bohag Bihu Bird count was launched by Bird Count of India (BCI) for the first time.
Bohag Bihu
Bohag Bihu is the traditional ethnic festival celebrated in Assam. It marks the beginning of Assamese new year.
Rongali Bihu
During Rongali Bihu, many migratory species of birds that visited Assam and its surrounding regions during winter start flying back to their homes.
According to State of India’s Birds, 2020, the loss of habitat is mainly due to human activities, toxins, hunting and trapping for pet trade.
Highlights of State of Birds report, 2020
50% of 867 bird species in India are exhibiting population decline.
The number of birds in Western Ghats have declined by 75% since 2000.
Around 101 bird species in India have been placed under “high concern” category, 442 in “low concern category” and 319 in “moderate concern” category.
The population of House Sparrow was stable, however, their population was declining in major cities.
All the four Bustards namely the Great Indian Bustard, Lesser Florican, Macqueen’s Bustard and Bengal Florican are suffering from population decline.
The House Sparrow has been declared as the “State Bird of Delhi”.
May 4, 2021
Putola Nach- Puppetry Art-form of Assam
In collaboration with the UNICEF, a trust based in Assam recently made videos using the traditional art called “Putola Nach”. The art form was used to take the messages related to COVID-19 to the public through social media.
The videos named COVID Shatru (enemy), COVID Bibharat (confusion) were released in Assamese. Mama ro Mina ko COVID Katha (COVID Tale of Mama and Mina) was released in Nepali language.
FACTFILE – Putola Nach
It is a traditional string puppet theatre from Assam in North East India. It is also called putala bhaona.
These dolls are 1.5 metres tall and are made of hollow wood or bamboo and their heads are made of terracotta.
Musical Instruments used in performing the art are dhol, harmonium, kansi, double reed wind instrument and a bell metal plate beaten with a stick.
There were three different styles of string puppetry in Assam, viz. Kalaigaon, Barpeta-Nalbari and Majuli island.
May 09, 2021
Himanta Biswa Sarma to take over as Assam Chief Minister
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the face of the BJP in Northeast India, will be sworn in as the 15th Chief Minister of Assam. Himanta Biswa Sarma and the outgoing Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, met Governor Jagdish Mukhi and put forward the BJP’s claim to form the government.
Earlier, Mr. Sonowal submitted his resignation to the Governor, paving the way for Sarma to succeed him.
The BJP won 60 of the 126 seats in the Assam Assembly election. Its allies, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), won nine and six seats, respectively.
Dr. Sarma was likely to keep the Finance, Health and Home portfolios with him. He handled Finance and Health in the Sonowal government as also in the Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government earlier.
May 11, 2021
Assam become first Indian state to have a digital flood reporting system
With the launch of Flood Reporting and Information Management System (FIRMS), Assam becomes the first state in India to have an real-time digital flood reporting system. Jishnu Barua, Chief Secretary, Assam, launched a digital real-time Flood Reporting and Information Management System (FIRMS) in the state of Assam.
With the river Brahmaputra flowing at the crux, Assam is prone to severe floods and erosion every year. Assam has a mandatory flood reporting protocol in place every year from May 15 to October 15.
FRIMS, a digital real-time flood reporting system, has been developed jointly by Assam State Disaster Management Agency (ASDMA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Tom White, UNICEF India Chief, Emergency and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) congratulated the Assam Government for becoming the first state to have a digital flood reporting system. “Such a system will go a long way in measuring the impact of disaster risk reduction interventions,” he added.
FACTFILE – Flood Reporting and Information Management System (FRIMS)
The Flood Reporting and Information Management System (FRIMS) is a digital real-time flood reporting system launched in Assam.
Assam is the first Indian state to adopt a digital flood reporting system that will replace the existing system of manual flood reporting.
FRIMS has been developed jointly by Assam State Disaster Management Agency (ASDMA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
May 16, 2021
NABARD provided Rs 1,236 crores Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) to Assam in 2020-21
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) recently announced that it provided Rs 1,236 crores to Assam in 2020-21 from its Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).
Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) was created in 1995-96 with an initial corpus of Rs 2,000 crores. In 2020-21, Rs 29,848 crores was allocated to RIDF.
The fund shall be used for 37 eligible activities as approved by the Govt of India. These eligible activities are classified under the three broad categories, namely, (i) social sector, (ii) agriculture and related sector; and (iii) rural connectivity.
Social Sectors
Solid Waste Management
Construction of Anganwadis
Setting of KVIC centres
Pay and Use toilets
Infrastructure for Rural Education Institutions
Drinking water
Public Health Institutions
Agriculture and Related Sectors
Mechanisation of farm operations
Dedicated Rural Industry estates
Separate Feeder lines
Solar Photovoltaic power plants
Infrastructure works related to solar energy, energy conservation, wind energy.
Desalination plants in coastal areas
Infrastructure for Information Technology in rural areas
Cold storage, Public/ Joint sector cold storage at various exit points
Drainage
Flood Protection
Forest Development
Watershed Development
Soil Conservation
Minor Irrigation Projects
Rural Connectivity
Rural bridges and Rural Roads
Institutions which are eligible for funds from RIDF
State Governments and Union Territories
State Government sponsored and supported organisations
State owned corporations and state government undertakings
Panchayat Raj institutions and Self-Help Groups
May 26, 2021
Shiva Thapa secures 5th successive medal at Asian Boxing Championships
Assam pugilist Shiva Thapa put up a fabulous performance to defeat Nader Odah in the men’s 64kg quarter-finals at the 2021 ASBC Asian Boxing Championships in Dubai.
With a comprehensive 5-0 victory against Kuwait’s Odah, Thapa progressed into the semi-finals and also confirmed his fifth back-to-back medal at the Asian Championships.
BIOGRAPHY – Shiva Thapa
Shiva Thapa is an Indian boxer.
Shiva Thapa participated in the 2012 London Olympics, and was the youngest Indian boxer to qualify for the Olympics.
Shiva Thapa is ranked 3rd in the bantamweight category in the AIBA Men’s World Ranking.
He is the third Indian to clinch Gold at the Asian Games.
May 27, 2021
Assam govt gives OIL Rs 500 crore to increase stake in Numaligarh Refinery Limited
Assam government will raise its stake in Numaligrah Refinery Limited (NRL) to 26% from the initial level of 12.35%.
Govt of Assam raised its stake in NRL to 18.59%; another 7.41% shall be acquired. Total investment of Rs 2,187 crore, will be the highest ever investment by Govt of Assam in any PSU.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Numaligarh Refinery (NRL) would increase its capacity from the existing 3 million metric tonnes (MMT) to 9 MMT, besides bringing 6 MMT crude oil to Assam from Odisha.
FACTFILE – Numaligarh Refinery (NRL)
Numaligarh Refinery is the largest among the four refineries operating in Assam. The refinery was set up as per Clause 7 of Assam Accord signed in 1985.
The refinery was commissioned in the year 2000 and since then has consistently excelled in physical and financial performance.
With the decision of the centre to privatize BPCL, NRL’s status as a Public Sector Enterprise was slated to be lost. To retain the public sector characteristics of the NRL, the Assam government accordingly took up the matter with the centre and decided to raise its stake in NRL to 26% from the initial level of 12.35%.
May 29, 2021
Assam hikes daily wages of Tea Garden Workers
The Assam government decided to hike wages of tea garden workers by Rs 38.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, held a meeting with representatives of Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha and other tea bodies to discuss issues pertaining of wage fixation.
With this hike, the tea workers in Brahmaputra valley would get Rs 205 from the existing Rs 167 and tea workers of Barak valley would get Rs 183 from the existing Rs 145.
FACTFILE – Tea Industry of Assam
Assam tea industry is India’s largest tea industry and second largest tea production region in the world after China.
Assam produces more than 50 % of the tea produced in India and about 1/6th of the tea produced in the world.
Tea industry has contributed substantially to the economy of Assam.
About 17 percent of the workers of Assam are engaged in the tea industry.
June 05, 2021
Raimona National Park becomes Assam’s sixth national park
Raimona National Park in Kokrajhar district within the Bodoland Territorial Region has become Assam’s sixth national park. The 422 sq ft wildlife habitat in Kokrajhar district adjoins western-most buffer to Manas Tiger Reserve.
Assam’s Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary, under stress for unregulated coal mining in the vicinity is also in the process of being declared as the seventh national park.
Assam already has the five national parks which are Kaziranga, Manas, Nameri, Orang and Dibru-Saikhowa.
Upgrading Dehing Patkai has been a long-felt need for the conservation of rainforest and elephant habitats. The area of the park includes the northern part of the notified Ripu Reserve Forest (508.62 sq. km), which forms the western-most buffer to the Manas National Park that straddles the India-Bhutan border.
Raimona also shares contiguous forest patches of the Phipsoo Wildlife Sanctuary and the Jigme Singye Wangchuk National Park in Bhutan (total area of 1,999 sq. km) creating a transboundary conservation landscape of more than 2,400 sq. km.
June 10, 2021
Assam gets Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary as its seventh national park
The Assam Government has decided in its recent cabinet meeting to declare Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary as the 7th National Park of the state. The newest national park, also known as Dehing Patkai Rain Forest, has unique floral and faunal diversity, which was recognized by the state government in 2004 when 111.19 square kilometres of the area was notified as Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary.
Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary is home to hoolock gibbon, elephant, slow loris, tiger, leopard, clouded leopard, golden cat, fishing cat, marble cat, sambar, hog deer, sloth bear, and several bird species including the endangered state bird, the white-winged wood duck.
With the addition big the two new national parks, Dehing Patkai and Raimona, Assam’s total national park goes to seven.
Assam now is the state with the second highest number of national parks in the country, after Madhya Pradesh’s 11. The Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar has nine national parks.
June 10, 2021
Assam’s Lovlina Borgohain becomes the first female pugilist from the state to qualify for Tokyo Olympics 2020
Assam’s Lovlina Borgohain becomes the first female pugilist from the state to qualify for Tokyo Olympics 2020. The young athlete Lovlina would be seen fighting it out in the Women’s 69 kg Welterweight category at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She is the first lady from Assam to represent India at the Olympics.
BIOGRAPHY – Lovlina Borgohain
Lovlina was born on 2 October 1997, and hails from the Golaghat district of Assam.
Lovlina’s career’s biggest break came when she was selected to participate in the 2018 Commonwealth Games welterweight boxing category, where she won a gold medal in the welterweight category.
She had also won the bronze medal at the Asian Boxing Championships in Vietnam in November 2017 and the bronze medal at the President’s Cup held in Astana in June 2017.
Lovlina later won a silver medal at the Ulaanbaatar Cup in Mongolia in June 2018 and a bronze medal at the 13th International Silesian Championship in Poland in September 2018.
June 11, 2021
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarmalaunches Sishu Seva Achoni for COVID-19 Orphans
Assam CM Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has dedicated Chief Minister Sishu Seva Scheme to the service of the beneficiaries and handed over the cheques of financial assistance to few beneficiaries who lost both their parents due to COVID.
As per the scheme, an amount to the tune of Rs. 7,81,200 would be parked in the bank as fixed deposit in the name of each beneficiary.
Monthly financial assistance of Rs. 3500 which will be realised from the fixed deposit will be given to the beneficiaries till they attain 24 years of age.
On completion of 24 years of age, the principal amount parked as a fixed deposit against each beneficiary would be credited to their bank accounts.
Orphaned adolescent girls will be given accommodation in suitable and reputed institutions like Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya residential schools, to ensure their sensitive care and proper protection.
June 15, 2021
Assam’s Shahil Dey is Northeast’s first Chess International Master
Shahil Dey from Assam becomes first International Master from Northeast India. The 13-year-old chess player achieved the feat by achieving his third International Master norm at the First Saturday GM held from June 5-14, 2021 at Budapest in Hungary.
Shahil originally from Assam, now lives in Kolkata in order to receive better training facilities. He is coached by IM Roktim Bandyopadhyay.
FACTFILE – Grand Master Title
Grand Master is the highest title a chess player can attain in their entire chess career. This title is given by the highest governing body of chess i.e. FIDE. If the title of Grandmaster once achieved, it can be held for life. However, the “World Chess Federation” has made some rules for it, if a player is found guilty of “cheating and corruption”, then the title can be snatched from him.
June 22, 2021
Assam govt signs MoU with Survey of India for implementation of SVAMITVA scheme in Assam
Assam government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Survey of India for implementing the Svamitva scheme in the state, to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural areas. The MoU was signed between Assam, Director of Land Records and Surveys, Shantanu P Gotmare and Director Assam and Nagaland, Survey of India. It is expected to reduce property related disputes in rural areas and legal cases.
Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Assam Government’s Department of Revenue and Disaster Management will implement the scheme with the support of the Panchayat and Rural Development.
Survey of India will take steps for survey of inhabited rural land by drone as well as establishment of ground based control stations to enable a detailed spatial database of properties in rural areas.
FACTFILE – SVAMITVA scheme
The SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) scheme was launched on the National Panchayati Raj Day i.e. April 24, 2020.
The scheme is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Panchayati Raj Departments, State Revenue Departments and Survey of India.
It aims to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India.
It is a scheme for mapping the land parcels in rural inhabited areas using drone technology and Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS).
The mapping will be done across the country in a phase-wise manner over a period of four years – from 2020 to 2024.
June 24, 2021
World’s first genetically modified rubber plant planted in Assam
The world’s first genetically modified (GM) rubber plant was planted on the outskirts of Guwahati. Chairman and Executive Director of the Rubber Board, K.N. Raghavan planted the saplings at the Rubber Board’s Sarutari research farm near Guwahati.
The GM rubber plant was developed at the Kerala-based Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) through long years of research at its biotechnology laboratory.
Benefits of genetically modified rubber plant
The GM rubber plant would be a game-changer in natural rubber cultivation in India, with additional copies of the gene MnSOD (manganese-containing superoxide dismutase) inserted in it.
The GM rubber plant is expected to tide over the severe cold conditions during winter, which is a major factor affecting the growth of young rubber plants. Natural rubber is a native of warm humid Amazon forests and it is not naturally suited for the cold conditions in this part of the country.
FACTFILE – Rubber Board of India
The Rubber Board is a statutory body constituted by the Government of India, under the Rubber Act 1947, for the overall development of the rubber industry in the country.
Union Govt to launch nutrition drive for Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) children
The Centre will launch a drive to identify Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) children and ensure their adequate nutrition and care during ongoing POSHAN Maah 2020.
The drive will have a long-term impact on the health of such children and would improve the country’s nutrition indicators as well.
Union Govt is also developing Bharatiya Poshan Krishi Kosh – a repository of an indigenous crop of every region, every district of India.
Malnutrition in children is a mammoth health issue the country is facing. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) – 4, 2015-16, every second child in India suffers from at least one form of nutrition failure, which translates to about 77 million undernourished children in India.
In the last decade, severe acute malnutrition has increased from 6.4 per cent (NFHS-3, 2005-06) to 7.5 per cent (NFHS -4, 2015-16) in India.
India enters elite club of hypersonic missile nations of US, Russia and China
Recently, India has successfully flight-tested hypersonic technology that will pave the way towards the development of missiles travelling at six times the speed of sound.
With this technological feat, India enters an elite club to become a member of the hypersonic regime, which includes the United States, Russia and China.
This is a step towards the manufacture of advanced Hypersonic Vehicles. India became the fourth country after the United States, Russia and China to get this technology.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully demonstrated the Hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology with the flight test of Hypersonic Technology Demonstration Vehicle (HSTDV) from Launch Complex at Wheeler Island.
FACTFILE – Hypersonic
In aerodynamics, a hypersonic speed is one that greatly exceeds the speed of sound, often stated as starting at speeds of Mach 5 and above.
Hypersonic flight is flight through the atmosphere below about 90 km at speeds above Mach 5, a speed where dissociation of air begins to become significant and high heat loads exist.
Andhra Pradesh launches schemes to boost women, child health
Andhra Pradesh CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched two new food schemes – YSR Sampoorna Poshana and YSR Sampoorna Poshana Plus – aimed at fortifying the health of thousands of pregnant and nursing women and children.
More than 30 lakh women and children across the state will stand to benefit from monthly supply of rations.
As part of YSR Sampoorna Poshana Plus scheme, eight Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) centres and 52 Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres will distribute nutritious meals in 77 tribal mandals through 8,320 Anganwadi centres, covering 3.8 lakh beneficiaries.
YSR Sampoorna Poshana Plus scheme will be implemented in the Anganwadi centres to provide supplementary nutrition to newborn babies, including pregnant women suffering from anaemia.
YSR Sampoorna Poshana Plus Scheme will cost the government Rs 307 crore, covering 3.8 lakh beneficiaries in 77 tribal mandals.
YSR Sampoorna Poshana Scheme is set to distribute nutritious meals through 47,287 anganwadi centres across the state.
Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2019 presented to broadcaster David Attenborough
Noted broadcaster and natural historian David Attenborough has been presented the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2019 by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
Attenborough has been given the prize for “revealing the wonders of the natural world, educating and entertaining generations of people through his films and books for tirelessly working to awaken humankind to the need to preserve and protect the biodiversity on our planet, and advocating the necessity to live a sustainable and harmonious way of life, working with rather than against nature.
FACTFILE – Indira Gandhi Peace Prize
The Indira Gandhi Peace Prize or the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is the prestigious award accorded annually by Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust to individuals or organisations in recognition of creative efforts toward promoting international peace, development and a new international economic order; ensuring that scientific discoveries are used for the larger good of humanity, and enlarging the scope of freedom.
The prize carries a cash award of 2.5 million Indian rupees and a citation.
September 09, 2020
Union Agriculture Minister launches 22 bamboo clusters in 9 states, National Bamboo Mission logo
Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched 22 bamboo clusters in nine states, India is now gearing up to increase exports of bamboo products.
The bamboo clusters will be set up in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Karnataka.
Among the measures taken to promote the sector, the government amended the Indian Forest Act 1927 in 2017 to remove bamboo from the category of trees. Consequently, now anyone can undertake cultivation and business in bamboo and its products.
Further, import policy has also been modified to ensure progress of bamboo industry in the country.
The government launched the restructured NBM in 2018-19 for holistic development of complete value chain of the sector.
The Mission is being implemented in a hub (industry) and spoke model, with the main goal of connecting farmers and to increase supply of appropriate raw material to domestic industry.
Karnataka launches India’s first integrated air ambulance service
Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa unveiled the country’s first integrated air ambulance service jointly launched by the International Critical Air Transfer Team (ICATT) and the Kyathi.
ICATT, a team comprising emergency medical service experts, and Kyathi, an aviation technology firm, have come together to start the country’s first integrated air-ambulance service.
ICATT-Kyathi’s fixed wing aircraft is capable of long distance emergency medical transportation, combined with helicopter and land ambulance services providing last mile connectivity.
The fixed wing air ambulance will be stationed at the HAL airport in Bengaluru. The ambulance is equipped with state-of-the-art German Isolation Pod. ICATT-Kyathi will also enable safe transportation for critical Covd-19 patients.
India ranks 4th in renewable energy
India has scaled its non-fossil fuel-based power generation to 134 GW, which is about 35 per cent of the nation’s total power generation and it is expected to increase it to 220 GW by 2022.
India is providing capacity-building support to ISA members through its ITEC training programme. It has also set up a Project Preparation Facility to develop bankable solar energy projects in ISA member-countries with the help of EXIM Bank of India.
Five Public Sector Undertakings under his Ministry will join ISA’s Coalition for Sustainable Climate Action (ISA-CSCA) as corporate partners. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, and GAIL (India) Limited will contribute to ISA Corpus Fund.
In 2018, India announced about USD 1.4 billion worth of lines of credit (LOCs) for covering 27 solar projects across 15 countries.
FACTFILE – International Solar Alliance
It is a treaty-based international intergovernmental organisation which was jointly launched by India and France on 30th November 2015 during the 21st session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP-21) in Paris, France.
It was conceived as a coalition of solar-resource-rich countries (which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn) to address their special energy needs.
It aim to lower the cost of technology and finance and thereby facilitate deployment of over 1,000 GW of solar energy and mobilize more than USD 1,000 billion into solar power by 2030 in member countries.
Headquarter: Gurugram in Haryana, India.
As of June 2020, the ISA Framework Agreement has been signed by 86 countries, with 68 having also deposited instruments of ratification.
ADB extends $500 million credit for Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed an agreement with the Indian government to extend a $500 million loan for building the 82-km, high-speed Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor.
This will be the first tranche of total $1 billion facility that the multilateral funding agency had agreed for the infrastructure project that will improve regional connectivity and mobility in India’s national capital region (NCR).
The first tranche of the loan will support construction of the first of three priority rail corridors planned under the NCR Regional Plan 2021 to connect Delhi to other cities in adjoining states.
The first tranche financing will be used for constructing electrified tracks, signalling systems, multimodal hubs and stations with design features that are friendly to elderly, women, children and the disabled.
A $3 million grant from ADB’s Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction will support various activities, including provision of visual, hearing and mobility aids, such as wheelchairs for differently abled persons.
The ADB-administered multi-donor Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund will provide $2.89 million to support innovations in building information modeling, universal access design features, TOD and VCF.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal flagged off Kokilamukh- Kartik Sapori ferry service across the Brahmaputra at Kokilamukh in Jorhat.
Students and traders who need to visit the town on a regular basis will mostly be benefitted by the service, which will be run by IWT.
The Chief Minister said that the government had been working for all-round development of the State and improving transportation services was one of the key areas.
Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra announced a 15-point programme
Giving priority to the education of tribal girls and aiming to free Rajasthan from the curse of child marriages, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra announced a 15-point programme.
The Governor said that each girl in the state should be provided education till she turns 18, adding that at least 10 employment fairs will be organised in Rajasthan via Corporate Social Responsibility wherein employment vans will bring jobs under the ‘Rozgar Apke Dwar’ initiative.
The 15-point programme also envisions Constitution Parks/Constitution Pillars in universities and a museum in Raj Bhavan.
The aim was to bring maternal and infant mortality rates (children below 5) in the tribal areas on par with the national rate and effective implementation of the National Nutrition Mission.
To make people aware about non-communicable and lifestyle-related diseases, to build first-aid centres through CSR in scheduled areas.
There is a plan to create an alumni network of state-funded universities to ensure maximum donation to the Governor’s Relief Fund.
The other points include development of STEAM-C (Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Mathematics-Computer) education system in the state for employment and skill development, the establishment of incubation centres in scheduled areas in collaboration with state-funded universities.
South India’s first Kisan Rail flagged off from Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar have virtually flagged off South India’s first Kisan Rail from Ananthapur to New Delhi.
The second Kisan Rail is shipping 214 tonnes of tomatoes, 138 tonnes of bananas, 32 tonnes of sweet oranges, 11 tonnes of papaya, 8 tonnes of melons and 3 tonnes of mangoes to Delhi, from Rayalaseema town.
The state government had taken up several initiatives in the agriculture sector for the benefit of farmers, such as providing minimum support price (MSP) by introducing market intervention fund.
Nearly 312 lakh metric tonnes of horticulture produce is being harvested across the state in 17 lakh hectares, with 16 per cent share of fruit production in the country.
AP Chief Minister made a special request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, explaining the crisis state farmers are confronting, which eventually led to the creation of South India’s first Kisan Rail originating from AP.
Tamil Nadu releases policy for electronics & hardware manufacturing
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy released the state’s Electronic Hardware Manufacturing Policy-2020, with the target for the manufacturing of electronic goods worth US$ 100-billion by the year 2025.
This policy envisages making the state contribute 25 per cent of the country’s total electronic hardware export. It aims at attracting semiconductor fabrication units to the state.
Providing a 30-per cent capital subsidy, 50 per cent grant for taking land on lease, 5-per cent interest grant for term loans and a monthly financial aid for the first-time trainees in the sector for six months at the rate of Rs. 4,000 for men and Rs. 6,000 for women are some of the features of the new policy.
Mobile phones, LED’s, fabless chips, printed circuit boards, solar photovoltaic cells and medical and automobile electronics are some of the areas that are being given focus in the new policy.
September 11, 2020
Kerala tops India’s literacy rate chart with 96.2% rate
As per National Statistical Office (NSO) survey report, with 96.2 percent literacy, Kerala has once again emerged as the most literate state in the country.
The report on “Household Social Consumption: Education in India as part of the 75th round of National Sample Survey – from July 2017 to June 2018‟ provides for state-wise detail of literacy rate among the persons aged seven years and above.
After Kerala, Delhi has the best literacy rate at 88.7 percent, followed by Uttarakhand’s 87.6 percent, Himachal Pradesh‟s 86.6 percent, and Assam’s at 85.9 percent.
Andhra Pradesh featured at the bottom with a rate of 66.4 percent, while, Rajasthan is the second-worst performer with a literacy rate at 69.7 percent, followed by Bihar at 70.9 percent, Telangana at 72.8 percent, Uttar Pradesh at 73 percent, and Madhya Pradesh at 73.7 percent.
The study has pegged the overall literacy rate in the country at about 77.7 percent.
PM Modi inaugurates Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana to enhance income of dairy farmers, fisheries
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana and e-Gopala App, a comprehensive breed improvement marketplace and information portal for direct use of farmers, which will do away with the role of middlemen in procurement and purchase.
The project has been started in 21 states and Rs 20,000 crore will be spend in the next four-five years. An amount of Rs 1,700 cr has been initiated to start the project.
The Department of Fisheries has approved Rs 1,723 crore worth of proposals for 21 states and Union Territories in phase-I under the PMMSY.
The PMMSY is a flagship scheme for focused and sustainable development of the fisheries sector with an estimated investment of Rs 20,050 crore, as a part of the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ package.
An investment of about Rs 12,340 crore is proposed for beneficiary-oriented activities in Marine, Inland fisheries and Aquaculture while about Rs 7,710 crore are proposed for Fisheries Infrastructure.
The PMMSY aims at enhancing fish production by an additional 70 lakh tonne by 2024-25, increasing fisheries export earnings to Rs 1,00,000 crore by 2024-25.
India, Japan ink mutual military logistics agreement
India and Japan have inked a landmark agreement that will allow their militaries to access each other’s bases for logistics support.
The agreement provides for creation of an enabling framework for closer cooperation and interoperability, besides allowing militaries of the two countries to use each other’s bases and facilities for repair and replenishment of supplies.
The defence ministry said the pact will enhance the interoperability between the armed forces, resulting in further expansion of bilateral defence engagement under the Indo-Japan special strategic and global partnership.
The agreement establishes the enabling framework for closer cooperation between the armed forces of India and Japan in the reciprocal provision of supplies and services.
India has already signed similar agreements with the US, France, Australia and Singapore.
India has been signing MLSAs with countries primarily eyeing deeper maritime cooperation which is important considering China’s rapid military expansionism in the Indo-Pacific, Indian Ocean and South China Sea.
Microsoft joins NASSCOM to skill 10 lakh students in AI
Microsoft joined hands with industry-driven learning ecosystem Nasscom FutureSkills to launch a nation-wide initiative “AI Classroom Series” that aims to skill 10 lakh students in Artificial Intelligence (AI) by 2021.
The online classes will include live demos, hands-on workshops and assignments through self-learning, virtual instructor-led training, and mentoring.
These introductory sessions on AI will be available for undergraduate students at no cost and will cover the basics of data science, machine learning models on Azure, and understanding of cognitive services to build intelligent solutions.
The partnership with NASSCOM FutureSkills is an extension of Microsoft’s global skilling initiative to help 25 million people worldwide acquire new digital skills, needed to thrive in a digital economy.
The partnership will also steer collaboration with various academic institutes and colleges to integrate new Cloud and AI technologies into the curriculum.
Reliance Industries becomes world’s 40th most valuable firm
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has become the
world’s 40th most valuable firm as it became the first Indian company to cross USD 210 billion in market capitalisation intra-day.
This is the first time that an Indian company has crossed the USD 200 billion market capitalisation milestone. It is ranked ahead of companies including Oracle, PepsiCo, SAP, Exxon Mobil, Novartis and Pfizer.
RIL is also ranked among Asia’s top 10 most valuable companies.
FACTFILE – Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, India.
RIL owns businesses across India engaged in energy, petrochemicals, textiles, natural resources, retail, and telecommunications.
RIL is one of the most profitable companies in India, the largest publicly traded company in India by market capitalisation, and the largest company in India as measured by revenue after recently surpassing the government-controlled Indian Oil Corporation.
The company is ranked 96th on the Fortune Global 500 list of the world’s biggest corporations as of 2020. It is ranked 8th among the Top 250 Global Energy Companies by Platts as of 2016.
Reliance continues to be India’s largest exporter, accounting for 8% of India’s total merchandise exports with a value of ₹1,47,755 crore and access to markets in 108 countries.
Telangana Assembly passes bills for landmark land reforms
The Telangana Assembly passed various Bills to bring major reforms in the state’s Revenue Department by reducing human interface for land transactions. Accordingly, the state govt has scrapped the posts of Village Revenue Officers (VROs) and Village Revenue Assistants (VRAs).
With the new enactments, record of rights relating to lands will be maintained in electronic form in the Telangana Land Records Management System for ensuring hassle-free revenue administration.
The new Revenue Act will remove discretionary powers vested with the officials at different levels and ensure transparent and corruption-free land dealings.
Under the new Revenue Act, land mutation or change of land title ownership will be done online via the Dharani portal. This will also allow people to access records of agricultural and non-agricultural land online.
Major health scheme for J&K announced
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha announced a major health scheme under which all residents of the union territory will be given health insurance.
The scheme, under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), will provide an annual health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per household on a floating basis.
It will also cover diseases like cancer and kidney disease, as well as coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In addition, all treatments for oncology, cardiology, and nephrology will be covered.
Andhra CM launches ‘YSR Asara’ to free women from debt trap
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the ‘YSR Asara’ scheme, which will benefit 87 lakh women belonging to 8.71 lakh self-help groups (SHGs).
The scheme promises to deposit money in the bank accounts of eligible women, amounting to Rs 27,168 crore in total, in four instalments.
According to the state govt, the outstanding loans of eligible women on the cut-off date were determined to be amounting to Rs 25,383 crore.
Most of these women hailing from poor families were compelled to take these loans for education, healthcare, care of elderly people at home, daily needs and other emergencies. This resulted in getting them into a vicious cycle of debts due to their incapability to cope with the exorbitant rates of interest.
September 13, 2020
Assam Govt announced infrastructure development projects worth around Rs 12,000 crore
The Assam state Govt announced a slew of infrastructure development projects worth around Rs 12,000 crore, including the setting up of four new medical colleges, nine women colleges, six degree colleges, ten law colleges, two flyovers and statewide road corridors in the state.
An outlay of around Rs 12,000 crore would be the highest ever capital investment in the history of Assam.
From December 2020, actual works would start for establishing the four new medical colleges at Biswanath Chariali, Charaideo, Goalpara and Guwahati.
In collaboration with Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (MMCH) and Kalapahar TB Hospital, the second medical college in Guwahati would be constructed to make it a best and largest one in entire eastern India in terms of size, services and treatment facilities.
Scientists develop Anti-bacterial Graphene face masks
The scientists have successfully produced graphene masks with an anti-bacterial efficiency of 80 per cent, which can be enhanced to almost 100 per cent with exposure to sunlight for around 10 minutes.
The graphene masks are easily produced at low cost and can help to resolve the problems of sourcing raw materials and disposing of non-biodegradable masks.
The researchers revealed that commonly used surgical masks are not anti-bacterial. And thus, this may lead to the risk of secondary transmission of bacterial infection when people touch the contaminated surfaces of the used masks or discard them improperly.
The research team tested their laser-induced graphene with E. coli, and it achieved high anti-bacterial efficiency of about 82 per cent. These laser-induced graphene showed a superior anti-bacterial capacity for aerosolised bacteria.
The team is currently working with laboratories in mainland China to test the graphene material with two species of human coronaviruses.
India’s first sea bass hatchery start-up comes up in Karnataka
Three young students of Bachelor of Fisheries Science (BFSc) at the Mangalore Fisheries College, A.H. Kaushik, V.S. Karthik Gowda, and S.V. Sachin, saw some shrimp farmers in Andhra Pradesh.
The ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA) announced the signing of an MoU with the start-up at Karnataka’s Kumta for transfer of sea bass seed production technology.
This is the first attempt in the country in setting up a sea bass hatchery in private sector on a start-up mode.
The ICAR-CIBA charged Rs 5 lakh for transfer of technology and 10 per cent royalty on the net profit of the company.
Canares Aquaculture will get the sea bass eggs or fries and brooder from the ICAR-CIBA, rear it in its tanks for about two-and-half months and then sell it to the farmers.
Assam state govt has approved to expand the Kaziranga National Park by 3053 hectares. This would make the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve to grow to 1085.53 sq km. Presently, the core area of the national park is 430 sq km.
This increase in area of KNP will benefit:
It would help to provide connectivity to Orang and Nameri National Parks across river Brahmaputra.
It also provides connectivity to the hills of Karbi Anglong to the south of the park.
These additional areas are encroachment-evicted areas and suitable wildlife habitat on river islands that are vulnerable to encroachment.
It would also lead to the reduction in human-wildlife negative interactions.
FACTFILE – Kaziranga National Park (KNP)
Kaziranga National Park is one of India’s oldest reserve areas, located in Golaghat and Nagaon, in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam in northeast India.
The park was declared ‘protected’ after Mary Curzon, Wife of Lord Curzon, failed to spot a single rhinoceros in the area.
The park has elephants, swamp deer, wild water buffalo, etc. It also has a wide range of flora. It also contains 15 threatened species of fauna.
It also has many species of birds and is designated as an ‘Important Bird Area’ by Birdlife International.
FACTFILE – National Parks in Asaam
Assam has five national parks—Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Nameri National Park, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and Orang National Park.
India becomes member of UN body ECOSOC
India has been elected as a member of the United Nation’s Commission on Status of Women, a body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
India will be a member of United Nation’s Commission on Status of Women for four years, 2021 to 2025.
India, Afghanistan and China had contested the elections to the Commission on Status of Women. Even as India and Afghanistan won the ballot among the 54 members, China could not cross the half-way mark.
The Economic and Social Council is at the heart of the United Nations system to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental.
FACTFILE – The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
It is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the main UN organs within the United Nations.
CSW has been described as the UN organ promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. Every year, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide.
It is the central platform for fostering debate and innovative thinking, forging consensus on ways forward, and coordinating efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals.
It is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits.
NSO’s Report on the Digital Divide
Recently, National Statistical Organisation (NSO) published the report on ‘household social consumption’ in its 75th round of the survey which was conducted between 2017-2018. The report shows that digital divide have increased across States, cities and villages, and income groups.
Key Findings of the report
One in 10 households have access to computer across the country.
Quarter of all homes have Internet connection which is accessed through fixed or mobile network using smartphones.
Cities have 42% Internet-enabled homes while in rural India 15% are connected to the internet.
Delhi has the highest Internet access covering 55% of the households.
Kerala emerges to have the least inequality where 39% of the poorest rural homes and 67% of the richest urban homes have Internet.
Odisha have the lowest internet penetration with one in 10 household have access to internet.
20% of Indians above the age of 5 years have basic digital literacy.
Digital divide – It means uneven distribution of access and use of internet and technologies among the group. This term was first used by Lloyd Morrisett.
Internet as Fundamental Right – Kerala High Court in 2019 had declared the right to Internet access is a fundamental right that forms the part of the right to privacy and the right to education under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Various Government Initiatives to reduce the digital divide
Bharat Net Programme that acts as the infrastructural backbone to provide Internet access all across the country.
National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM) have been launched to empower at least one person per household with digital literacy skills by 2020.
Indian Railways completes solar power installations at 960 stations
With the objective of 100 per cent self-sustainability for all power needs, the Indian Railways has completed installation of solar power plants at 960 stations and in the ordering process for 198 MW solar rooftop capacity for 550 additional railway stations.
The Indian Railways’ plans were part of its objective to become a net zero carbon emitter by 2030 as it has a landpool of more than 51,000 hectares.
Indian Railways plans plans to install solar plants of 20 GW capacity by utilising its vacant land by 2030. And to generate 33 billion units by 2030, 10 billion more than its present requirement.
For the first time in the world, Indian Railways sets up solar plant in Bina to directly power railway overhead line, in July, 2020.
Assam Govt plans to overhaul of State’s education sector
Assam Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the Legislative Assembly that the government is planning an overhaul of the education sector with 15 new government colleges, including nine girls’ colleges, coming up in Assam.
150 new high schools will be built in the tea garden areas of Assam and these will be ready to start from the next academic session.
Under the New Education Policy, the entire education system would undergo a sea change, where the difference between English medium and vernacular mediums would be reduced and people will gain confidence in the government education sector.
Assam is witnessing fast pace expansion in the government education sector with more than 40 lakh students enrolled in government academic institutions and more than 1.5 lakh appointments in this sector in the past eight years.
5.5 lakh students have been given free admission under government scheme.
The Govt is ready do some modification in provincialisation rules to regularise the deserving venture institutions of the state.
Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee passes away
Former President of India Pranab Mukherjee died in Delhi at the age of 84.
The central government has announced seven days of state mourning for the former president.
BIOGRAPHY – Pranab Mukherjee
Pranab Mukherjee served as the 13th President of India, from 2012 to 2017.
Born in the village of Mirati in Birbhum district of West Bengal, Mukherjee pursued History, Political Science and Law courses from the Kolkata University before becoming a college teacher and then a journalist.
Before becoming finance minister for the first time as part of Indira Gandhi’s Cabinet in 1982, Mukherjee had served as a deputy minister for finance in 1973-74.
He was also appointed the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission in 1991 during the time of P V Narasimha Rao’s government at the Centre and held that position for five years.
UP Govt launches Major Dhyan Chand Vijaypath Yojana
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya launched the Major Dhyan Chand Vijaypath Yojana under which 19 international players from the state will get road connectivity to their houses.
Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, former pacer Praveen Kumar, Piyush Chawla and Mohammad Kaif are among the 19 athletes who will be benefited from the scheme.
The initial list includes 19 players but later on, more players will be added to the scheme.
September 02, 2020
Assam’s Darrang ranked second in performance among aspirational districts in India
The NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog in its fresh assessment based on the overall performance index has placed Assam’s Darrang district in the second rank among the 124 aspirational districts of the country.
The evaluation covered several subjects of development including health and nutrition, education, agriculture and water resource, financial inclusion and skill development and basic infrastructure for the last two months of June and July 2020.
In the financial inclusion and skill development category, the Darrang district fared even better than the district that bagged the first rank.
Bhaben Baruah Award to Kulada Kumar Bhattacharya
The Nalbari district unit of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad conferred the coveted Bhaben Baruah Award for the year 2020 to renowned actor, playwright and the director of Jyoti Chitraban, Kulada Kumar Bhattacharya for his lifetime contributions towards the uplift of preforming arts in the State.
The award consists of a cash prize of Rs 10,000, a citation and a seleng sador, among others.
FACTFILE – Bhaben Baruah Award
The Nalbari district unit of AJYCP has been presenting the award since 2009. First edition of the award was given to play artist Dulal Roy.
Recipients of the award are
Guruji Adya Sarma (2010)
Biju Phukan (2011)
Nilu Chakravarty (2012)
Mahananda Sarma (2013)
Jibeswar Deka (2014)
Achyut Lahkar (2015)
Dharani Barman (2016)
Hemanta Dutta (2017)
Bidya Rao (2018)
Dara Ahmed (2019)
India launches pan-India Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM) in electricity
Indian power market has gone green with the launch of pan-India Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM) in electricity.
The introduction of GTAM platform would lessen the burden on Renewable Energy-rich States.
The GTAM platform will lead to an increase in the number of participants in the renewable energy sector.
It will benefit buyers of renewable energy through competitive prices and transparent and flexible procurement. And it will also benefit renewable energy sellers by providing access to the pan-India market.
Key features of Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM)
Transactions through GTAM will be bilateral in nature with clear identification of corresponding buyers and sellers, there will not be any difficulty in accounting for RPO.
GTAM contracts will be segregated into Solar RPO & Non-Solar RPO as RPO targets are also segregated.
Further, within the two segments GTAM contracts will have Green Intraday, Day Ahead Contingency, Daily and Weekly Contracts
Price discovery will take place on a continuous basis i.e. price time priority basis. Subsequently, looking at the market conditions open auction can be introduced for daily & weekly contracts.
Google expands AI-driven flood forecast to all of India, Bangladesh
Google expanding its Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered flood forecasting to all of India and Bangladesh that will provide greater details on timing and water depths in alerts in nine new local languages.
This forecasting model that will allow it to double the lead time of many of its alerts providing more notice to governments in India and Bangladesh and giving tens of millions of people an extra day or so to prepare.
For several years, the Google Flood Forecasting Initiative has been working with governments to develop systems that predict when and where flooding will occur and keep people safe and informed.
Google has been expanding its forecasting models and services in partnership with the Indian Central Water Commission. This partnership aims to build local networks that can get disaster alert information to people who wouldn’t otherwise receive smartphone alerts directly.
IUCAA Pune scientists find one of the farthest galaxies
A team of scientists from Pune’s Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics (IUCAA) have discovered one of the farthest galaxies in the universe, called AUDFs01
The discovery made by a team of astronomers led by IUCAA’s Kanak Saha.
The galaxy was discovered by India’s first Multi-Wavelength Space Observatory ‘AstroSat’, which detected extreme-UV light from a galaxy located at an astronomical distance of 9.30 billion light-years from Earth.
FACTFILE – Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA)
The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) is an autonomous institution set up by the University Grants Commission to promote nucleation and growth of active groups in astronomy and astrophysics in Indian universities.
IUCAA is located in the University of Pune campus.It’s campus designed by Indian architect Charles Correa.
IUCAA, along with Persistent Systems, Pune, operates the Virtual Observatory project. The observatory provides users access to raw observational data along with advanced processing software designed by engineers at Persitent.
IUCAA, along with the Raman Research Institute and Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, declared a proposal to take a ten percent stake in the Large Telescope Project, which would allow Indian astronomers access to major upcoming observatories such as the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) and the European Extremely Large Telescope (EELT).
IIT Bombay students launch AI-based scanning app “AIR Scanner”
AIR Scanner, a free-of-cost mobile application, has been developed Rohit Kumar Chaudhary and Kavin Agrawal, two B.Tech students of IIT Bombay.
This app has been launched on Independence Day and the AI (Artificial Intelligence) based Reading Assistant & Document Scanner app can scan documents and also read to users who have difficulty in reading English.
The document you scan using your mobile camera will be saved in PDF format and will be stored in the device only.
An added advantage of this app is its Artificial Intelligence feature that reads out the scanned pages and also provides the meaning of the selected word to the user in 40 different languages.
Assam Municipal Billpassed bill to defer civic body polls by one year
In view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Assam assembly passed the Assam Municipal (Amendment) Bill, 2020 allowing deferring of polls to municipal bodies by one year after expiry of their scheduled terms.
The bill also provides for appointment of a senior official as the in-charge of the council concerned after the end of its scheduled term.
The state government shall direct the Deputy Commissioner or the Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil), as the case may be, of the respective jurisdiction, to take over the charge of the Municipal Boards for a period not exceeding 12 months from the date of expiry of the term of the office of the Commissioners.
As per the recent National Statistical Office (NSO) data, India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth contracted by 23.9% in the quarter 1 of 2020. It is the sharpest contraction since India started reporting quarterly data in 1996.
Construction, manufacturing, trade, hotels and other services and mining were the worst-hit sectors, due the severe suspension of economic activity in the quarter period due to the Covid pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns.
Only sector that showed a positive growth is agriculture, which grew at 3.4%.
Effects on the Economy
Job loss since the sectors which have contracted (e.g. construction, manufacturing etc.) are the sectors that create the maximum new jobs in the country.
Small-scale sector and informal sector are more affected than the organised sector
Defaults in the banking sector after the moratorium ends will add to the banking sector woes, impacting bank’s lending.
Household debt will increase with incomes stagnating, salary cuts and job losses.
Real-Time Market of Indian Energy Exchange launched
A pan-India real-time market of electricity to enable the buyers and sellers pan-India to meet their energy requirement closer to real time of operation has been launched.
With shorter bidding time, faster scheduling, and defined processes enables the participants to access resources throughout the all India grid, the market will promote competition.
It is an organized market platform which will bring required flexibility to provide real-time balance while ensuring optimal utilization of the available surplus capacity in the system. The buyers and sellers would have the option of placing buy or sell bids for each 15-minute time block.
Advantages of Real-Time Market of Indian Energy Exchange
It would help to mitigate the challenges of grid management and integrate higher amounts of renewable energy resources into the grid.
It would provide an alternate mechanism for DISCOMS to access larger markets at competitive prices.
It serves the consumers with reliable supply as any last-minute requirement of power can easily be bought from the Real-Time market.
Rajasthan Govt signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shri Vallabh Pittie (SVP) International Group for the development of facilities related to aviation, defence and textile sectors.
Investment of Rs 4,000 crore is estimated under the projects which would generate employment for more than 4,000 people.
The company proposed to develop a project for defence and aerospace, including aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility, aviation academy and a project related to textile.
J&K Official Languages Bill 2020 gets Cabinet clearance
The Union Cabinet gave its nod to the introduction of the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020 in the Parliament.
The Bill will include Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi as official languages in the newly-created Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Now, five languages Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi, Urdu and English will be the official languages in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, as against only English and Urdu which were official languages in the former State.
Scheduled languages under the Eighth Schedule
Dogri along with Bodo, Maithili and Santhali was added to the scheduled languages under the Eighth Schedule by 92nd Amendment Act of 2003.
The Eighth Schedule consists of the following 22 languages:
Of these languages, 14 were initially included in the Constitution.
Sindhi language was added by the 21st Amendment Act of 1967.
Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali were included by the 71st Amendment Act of 1992.
Union Cabinet approves Mission Karmayogi
Union Cabinet has given its nod to Mission Karmayogi – National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building, a scheme to lay the foundation for capacity building for Civil Servants so that they remain entrenched in Indian culture while they learn global best practices.
The mission aims to make the Civil Servants more creative, constructive, imaginative, innovative, proactive, professional, progressive, energetic, enabling, transparent and technology-enabled.
The institutional framework will consist of Prime Minister’s Public Human Resources (HR) Council, Capacity Building Commission, Special Purpose Vehicle for owning and operating the digital assets and the technological platform for online training, and Coordination Unit headed by the Cabinet Secretary.
The Public Human Resources Council comprising select Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, eminent public HR practitioners, thinkers, global thought leaders and Public Service functionaries will serve as the apex body for providing strategic direction to the task of Civil Services Reform and capacity building.
The Capacity Building Commission to ensure a uniform approach in managing and regulating the capacity building ecosystem on collaborative and co-sharing basis.
UP government plans to set up toy city in UP
Uttar Pradesh government is planning to set up a ‘Toy City’ along the Yamuna Expressway in the state. And for that, 70 entrepreneurs have shown interest in setting up toy units in the state.
The state government would provide subsidised land under the MSME provisions and also make arrangements for the raw material needed for the toy industry.
The toy industry in India is worth about Rs 10,000 crore and according to the International Market Analysis, Research and Consulting Group, Indian participation in the global toy industry is merely 0.5 per cent.
In the Indian market, the locally made toys account for merely 12 per cent. The majority of the toys are imported from China and other countries.
September 04, 2020
India ranks 48th in Global Innovation Index, 2020
India has moved up four places to the 48th rank in the global innovation index and keeps the top position among the nations in central and southern Asia.
For the first time, India entered in the top 50 countries in the global innovation index.
India has become the third most innovative lower middle-income economy in the world
India ranks in the top 15 in indicators such as ICT (Information and Communication Technology) services exports, government online services, graduates in science and engineering, and R&D-intensive global companies.
India is the lower middle-income economy with the highest innovation quality.
FACTFILE – Global Innovation Index, 2020
The Global Innovation Index (GII) is an annual ranking of countries by their capacity for, and success in, innovation. It is released jointly by the Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
A total of 131 countries were analysed under the GII based on metrics include institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication and business sophistication, knowledge and technology outputs and creative outputs.
Top countries are Switzerland, Sweden, the US, the UK and the Netherlands. The top 10 positions are dominated by high-income countries.
CSIR-CMERI develops World’s Largest Solar Tree
CSIR-CMERI has developed the World’s Largest Solar Tree, installed capacity of the Solar Tree is above 11.5 kWp, which is installed at CSIR-CMERI Residential Colony, Durgapur.
It has the annual capacity to generate 12,000-14,000 units of Clean and Green Power. The Solar Tree has been designed to ensure maximum exposure of each Solar PV Panel to Sunlight and also creation of the least amount of shadow area beneath.
Each Solar Tree has the potential to save 10-12 tons of CO2 emissions being released into the atmosphere as Greenhouse The surplus generated power can be fed into an Energy Grid.
The solar tree has the capability to incorporate IOT based features like round-the-clock CCTV surveillance in agricultural fields, real-time humidity, wind speed, rainfall prediction and soil analytics sensors.
This Solar Tree is a Quantum Leap towards making an Energy Reliant and Carbon Negative India in compliance with sustainable development goals.
J&K govt to set up two CIIITs in Jammu, Baramulla
The J&K Government is establishing two Centers for Invention, Innovation, Incubation & Training (CIIIT) in Jammu & Kashmir in collaboration with Tata Technologies. This will strengthen industry-academia partnership and to bring quality improvement in technical education.
The two centers are being built at Government Polytechnic College, Jammu and Government Polytechnic College, Baramulla and shall be established at a cost of approximately Rs 360.00 crores.
The Project is aimed at bringing qualitative improvements in the field of technical education in J&K. They will facilitate to create a ready pool of skilled manpower like engineers; technicians which will augment the industrial growth and in turn employment avenues in the region.
NASA test-fires SLS rocket booster for future lunar missions
With overall objective of landing the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024, NASA has completed a full-scale booster test for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
NASA, along with Northrop Grumman, will use data from the test, successfully conducted to evaluate the motor’s performance using potential new materials and processes that can be incorporated into future boosters.
The SLS flight support booster firing is a crucial part of sustaining missions to the Moon. The SLS boosters are the largest, most powerful boosters ever built for flight.
The two boosters on the rocket provide more than 75 per cent of the thrust needed to launch NASA’s future deep space missions through Artemis lunar programme.
The SLS rocket, Orion spacecraft, Gateway, and human landing system are part of NASA’s backbone for deep space exploration.
Swami Vivekananda Assam Youth Empowerment (SVAYEM) Yojana is a flagship program announced in the Budget 2017-18, to provide financial support to the youths of Assam to take up income generating activities in the manufacturing, trading and service sector.
Objectives of SVAYEM Yojana
To generate employment opportunities in rural as well as urban areas through setting up of new ventures as well as growing existing ventures.
To provide financial assistance to micro and small business entities engaged in the manufacturing, trading and services sector.
To provide financial assistance for enhancement of income level of traditional artisans ensuring sustainable growth.
Coverage and targeted group under SVAYEM Yojana
About One lakh youth of Assam will be provided suitable credit support for taking up income generating enterprises.
Nature of activities eligible for SVAYEM Yojana
Manufacturing
Processing
Service Sector
Trading
Rural Transport Service (Auto Rickshaw, e-Rickshaw)
Tourism
Shops, repairing Centres, Handicraft, Cottage Industries etc.
Eligibility criteria for the beneficiary of SVAYEM Yojana
Residents of Assam above 18 years of age.
The beneficiary should possess educational qualification of at least Class VII.
The individual beneficiary should have skills, experiences, knowledge, etc., to undertake the income generating activities.
The beneficiary who has already completed Skill Development Training will be given preference.
The beneficiary must not be the defaulter of any loan.
PMEGP beneficiaries of the last 5 years will not be eligible under the scheme.
Indian Govt proposes mandatory FASTag for vehicles sold before Dec 1, 2017
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed to make FASTags mandatory for vehicles sold before December 1, 2017.
The amended provision in Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989 is proposed to be put in force with effect from January 1, 2021.
It is proposed to make having a valid FASTag mandatory while getting a new 3rd Party Insurance through an amendment in FORM 51 (Certificate of Insurance), wherein the details of FASTag ID shall be captured.
As per Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, FASTag had been made mandatory since 2017 for registration of new four-wheeled vehicles, and is to be supplied by the vehicle manufacturer or their dealers.
Odisha proposes to set up a Bulk Drug Park at Gopalpur
The Odisha govt accorded in-principle approval to a proposal for setting up a Bulk Drug Park within the Tata Steel Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Gopalpur in Ganjam district.
The proposed project is part of the state government’s aim of creating employment opportunities through industrialization in the non-mineral sector.
The cost of the infrastructure development in the park was estimated around Rs 1,500 crore. And the proposed park would create employment opportunities for around 5,000 people.
September 06, 2020
Assam Skill University Bill 2020 passed
The Assam Legislative Assembly passed the Assam Skill University Bill 2020 for setting up a state-of-the-art skill university at Mangaldoi in Darrang district.
The university will be set up with financial support of about Rs 1000 Crore from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The Assam government has tied up with Singapore based ITE Education Service for setting up of the university.
Around 100 bigha land would be allotted for setting the university.
The university will open a new vista of opportunities and change the economic landscape of Assam.
FACTFILE – Assam Skill University
Assam to set up Skill University at Mangaldoi as a centre of excellence Skill University with an investment of Rs 900 crore.
It will be the first skill university in the country.
It will be set up with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank.
Assam Government has tied up ITE Education Service, Singapore for setting up of the Skill University.
It is to hold a capacity of 10,000 seats, of which, 80% of the seats are to be reserved for students of Assam and 20% for other North-Eastern states.
Andhra Pradesh tops in implementing Business Reforms, Assam among worst reformer states
Andra Pradesh is the best-performing state in terms of implementing business reforms, as the ranking of states on the basis of implementing the ‘State business reforms action plan’, released by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The ‘State Business Reform Action Plan 2019’ is aimed at improving business environment by streamlining regulatory structures and simplifying procedures, digitisation of information and easing the compliance burden.
The Action plan aspires to create creating an investor-friendly business climate by cutting down red tape.
Uttar Pradesh stood second and Telangana was the third-best state in implementing business reforms in 2019.
States like Haryana, Odisha, Kerala, Karnataka, Bihar, Goa, Assam and surprisingly even Gujarat has been worst-performing states in terms of reform initiatives in 2019 as compared to their performance in previous year.
India-Bangladesh new waterway route with Tripura made operational
The first consignment of goods from Bangladesh arrived in Tripura by waterway as part of a trial run for shipping of goods from other parts of India to the northeast region via Bangladesh formally making operational of new waterways between India and Bangladesh.
A Bangladeshi vessel tracking 93 km waterways carrying 10 tonnes of arrived western Tripura’s Sonamura. With the arrival of the vessel, the Sonamura-Daukandi 93-km-long new inland waterways protocol route between northeast India’s Tripura state and Bangladesh was formally made operational.
A temporary floating jetty was built at Sonamura in western Tripura to start the new waterway through the Gomati river between Tripura and Bangladesh.
Agartala via Guwahati is 1,650 km from Kolkata by road while the distance between Agartala and Kolkata via Bangladesh is just 620 km.
India and Bangladesh had earlier signed a MoU to ferry various goods including foodgrains from different parts of India to the mountainous northeastern states using Bangladeshi ports and surface roads to save time and transportation costs.
There are six ‘ports of call’ each in India and Bangladesh. The five new “ports of call” on the Indian side are Dhulian, Maia, Kolaghat, Sonamura and Jogigopha and on the Bangladesh side Rajshahi, Sultanganj, Chilmari, Daudkandi and Bahadurabad.
Two more extended “ports of call” Tribeli (Bandel) and Badarpur in India and Ghorasal and Muktarpur in Bangladesh have been added.
September 07, 2020
Assam passed bill to protect State’s Heritage Sites
Assam Legislative Assembly passed bills for creation of three autonomous councils which included Moran, Motok and Kamtapur Autonomous Council.
The bills are being termed as a ‘historic’ step towards implementing the Clause 6 of Assam Accord. The bill has been drafted by the Directorate of Archaeology, under the guidance of State Cultural Affairs (Archeology) Minister Keshab Mahanta.
Tangible Heritage Covered under the new Bill
This bill covers various museum objects like coins, sculptures, manuscripts, epigraphs or other work of art and craftsmanship and all cultural artefacts of indigenous people.
Heritage sites such as xatras, monasteries, stupas, naamghars, masjids, dargahs, and churches besides socio-cultural institutions and habitation structures having traditional architectures as well as monuments and their precincts will also be covered under the new law.
All the artefacts covered under tangible heritage that have been in existence for a minimum of 75 years and are not covered under the Assam Ancient Monuments and Records Act, 1959, will be protected under the new law.
Clause 6 of Assam Accord
Under the clause, the state government is empowered to take necessary steps to ensure constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, as may be appropriate, that shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the culture, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.
UN’s International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies observed on September 7
For the first time, UN`s International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies is observed on September 7, 2020. The theme for this year’s observance day is “Clean Air for All”.
Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar will be chairing a webinar, will be joined by Principal Secretaries of the Urban Development Department and Environment Department of 28 states and 8 Union Territories.
He will also be reviewing the progress of the activities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) during the course of the webinar.
On December 19, 2019, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to observe the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies on September 7 every year starting from 2020.
University of Hyderabad start-up bags Covid-19 challenge grant from USISTEF
A start-up company incubated at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) has won a US-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF) ignition grant for its “Novel therapeutic strategy to fight against Covid-19”.
The proposal by Novel Oncoseek Bio Pvt Ltd., was one of the eleven that were selected from 520 proposals that were received and evaluated.
The company is one of the start-up companies of ASPIRE-BioNEST at UoH had earlier received a grant from BIRAC, Government of India to develop a platform to screen the potential drug candidates for Covid-19.
Its present proposal, Oncoseek Bio is proposing to create a therapeutic by developing neutralizing novel antibodies directed against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and other epitopes of the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.
The antibodies are conjugated to drug/Zn nanoparticle (ADCs), which would release the drug of choice at the site of action.
IITs to help make ‘agarbatti’ sector self-reliant
In an effort to help the India’s embattled MSME sector, the Central govt has decided to rope in IITs to extend their support to the ‘agarbatti’ (incense sticks) industry as part of its ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ campaign aimed at making India self-reliant.
The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Ministry has expanded its reach and support to artisans, involved in making agarbattis, as well as to the industry, by its new guidelines.
The ministry has looked at all aspects of the industry, beyond just supply of machines for making agarbattis. This includes ensuring supply of inputs and raw materials, the demand for which has increased hugely in the last one year, as per the Centre.
It has decided to continuously support the artisans through training, raw material, marketing and financial support.
It has also worked on all aspects of this product, like innovation in the fragrance and packaging, use of new or alternate raw materials like re-usable flowers, coir pith, and supply of bamboo sticks.
For this purpose, a ‘Centre of Excellence’ is also being set up in the Flavour and Fragrance Development Centre in Uttar Pradesh’s Kannauj, which is known to be India’s fragrance capital.
The Centre will also set up 10 clusters with proper marketing linkages under SFURTI (Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries) scheme of the MSME Ministry at a total cost of about Rs 50 crore.
Q1. Recently, India’s longest river ropeway, connecting the north and south banks of the Brahmaputra river inaugurated in which city?
Agartala
Silchar
Guwahati
Imphal
C. Guwahati
The ropeway will cover a distance of 1.8 km, and bring down the travelling time. It will also help in promoting tourism and will make commuting easier.
Q2. Recently, which state assembly has passed a resolution for inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution?
Bihar
Jharkhand
Arunachal Pradesh
Sikkim
C. Arunachal Pradesh
The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution deals with the administration of the tribal areas in the four northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram as per Article 244. It empowers Parliament to establish an autonomous State comprising certain tribal areas of Assam and for local Legislature or Council of Ministers or both can create. It provides the power of the enactment of autonomous district councils (ADCs) to protect the rights of tribal populations.
Q3. Name the Para Athletic who won the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in the recently announced National Sports Awards 2020?
Dutee Chand
Manika Batra
Shri Manish Narwal
Shri Mariyappan T.
D. Shri Mariyappan T.
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in Sports and Games is the highest sporting honour of the Republic of India. The award is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. This award is being conferred for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four years. As of 2020, the award comprises a medallion, a certificate, and a cash prize of ₹25 lakh.
Q4. What is the projected growth rate of India for 2020-21, as per Reserve Bank of India’s annual report 2019-20?
-3.3
-4.5
-5.6
-2.8
B. -4.5
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)projected India’s growth at minus (-) 4.5% for 2020-21. It will be (-) 3.7% in the single hit scenario and (-) 7.3% in the double hit scenario in FY2020-21. On the global front, the growth is projected at (-) 6.0% in the single hit scenario and (-) 7.6% in the double hit scenario in FY20-21.
Q5. Who will be honoured with the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2019 in the land adventure category?
Anita Kundu
Aparna Kumar
Manikandan K
Wangchuk Sherpa
A. Anita Kundu
Indian Mountaineer Anita Kundu has been chosen for the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2019 in the ‘land adventure category’. She is the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest from both the Indian and the Chinese sides.
Q6. Recently, who has won the ‘World’s Fastest Human Calculator’ title?
Akrit Jaswal
Priyanshi Somani
Neelakanta Bhanu Prakash
Ajay Puri
C. Neelakanta Bhanu Prakash
India’s Neelakanta Bhanu Prakash has won the ‘World’s Fastest Human Calculator’ title. He has won the first-ever gold for India in Mental Calculation World Championship at Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO) held in London recently.
Q7. Which state topped in the ‘Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020’ released by NITI Aayog?
Madhya Pradesh
Gujarat
Maharashtra
Kerala
B. Gujarat
Export Preparedness Index (EPI) aims to identify the challenges and opportunities; improve the effectiveness of government policies; and promote a facilitative regulatory framework. Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu occupied the top three ranks in the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020.
Among the landlocked states, Rajasthan has performed the best, followed by Telangana and Haryana. Among the Himalayan states, Uttarakhand topped the chart, followed by Tripura and Himachal Pradesh. Across Union Territories, Delhi has performed the best, followed by Goa and Chandigarh.
Q8. Which country plans to host BRICS Games in 2021?
Russia
India
China
Japan
B. India
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju attended a meeting of Sports Ministers of the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). During this meeting he announced that BRICS Games 2021 will be held during the same time and at the same venues as of Khelo India Games 2021.
Q9. Who became the first Indian-origin woman to be honoured with a memorial Blue Plaque?
Noor Innayat Khan
Haafiza Sayed
Soufeina Hamed
Zainab Khan
A. Noor Innayat Khan
Noor Inayat Khan is the first woman of Indian-origin to be honoured with a memorial Blue Plaque for her service in the Special Operations Executive during World War 2. She was the first female radio operator be sent into Nazi-occupied France and is also remembered as Britain’s first Muslim war heroine.
Q10. Which IIT has recently launched ‘world’s most affordable’ respirator mask?
IIT Madras
IIT Dhanbad
IIT Delhi
IIT Hyderabad
D. IIT Hyderabad
The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad has recently launched US9 respiratory mask which is highly durable and adheres to the highest safety standards for operating in hazardous environments.
Q1. Which company has recently launched the Krishi-Udan Scheme to facilitate the marketing of agricultural and farm products of the northeastern states outside the region?
Airports Authority of India or (AAI)
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)
Infosys
Wipro
A. Airports Authority of India or (AAI)
The Airports Authority of India or AAI is a statutory body founded in 1995. The organisation is responsible for creating, upgrading, maintaining and managing civil aviation infrastructure in India. It provides Communication Navigation Surveillance / Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) services over Indian airspace and adjoining oceanic areas.
Q2. Which city has been conferred the Swachh Survekshan 2020 award for the cleanest city in the Northeast region under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan?
Lakhimpur
Tezpur
Jorhat
Sivsagar
B. Jorhat
Apart from Jorhat, four more Assam cities—Tezpur, Diphu, Sivasagar, and Karimganj—have secured positions on the list of cleanest cities this year.
Under the 25, 000 to 50,000 population category, Mokukchung in Nagaland won cleanest city in the Northeast Zone award. On the other hand, Jiribam in Manipur bagged cleanest city ian the northeast zone in below 25,000 population category.
Q3. Who has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the Joel Henry Hildebrand Award in the Theoretical and Experimental Chemistry of Liquids, by the American Chemical Society (ACS)?
Professor Biman Bagchi
Abraham Verghese
Arvind Panagariya
Avinash Dixit
A. Professor Biman Bagchi
The American Chemic Society (ACS) national awards programme is designed to encourage the advancement of chemistry in all its branches and to support research in chemical science and industry.
Q4. Recently, Endangered Madagascan moon moth spotted in which state?
Assam
Manipur
Mizoram
Nagaland
D. Nagaland
Madagascan moon moth is native to the rain forests of Madagascar– was spotted in Noklak district.
The male moon moth has a wingspan of 20 cm and a tail span of 15 cm, making it one of the world’s largest silk moths. Madagascan moon moth is one of the beautiful lepidopterans. It is nocturnal and does not fly in day time.
Q5. Recently who among the following has written a new collection of short stories ‘Grandparents’ Bag of Stories’?
Chetan Bhagat
Khushwant Singh
Sudha Murthy
Amrita Pritam
C. Sudha Murthy
The book, scheduled to be released in November, is a sequel to Murty’s last release Grandma’s Bag of Stories and will feature 20 stories.
Q6. Recently, which among the following company has collaborated with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to offer ‘Open P-TECH’, a free digital education platform?
Google
Microscope
IBM
Infosys
C. IBM
IBM will curate online courses from Open P-Tech platform and offer it to users via NSDC’s eSkill India portal to empower Indian youth on various skills to succeed in future careers. It will provide online courses in emerging technologies like cybersecurity, blockchain, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud and Internet of Things along with professional skills like design thinking to learners between 18 to 22 years for free.
Q7. Who has become the youngest author to win the 2020 International Booker Prize?
Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
Paul Beatty
Hilary Mantal
Marlon James
A. Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
Dutch author Marieke Lucas Rijneveld has won the 2020 International Booker Prize together with their translator Michele Hutchison for their debut novel The Discomfort in the Evening, the story of childhood grief.
Q8. Which bank has recently launched an Aadhaar authentication based digital savings account called Jan Bachat Khata (JBK) to consumers?
Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank
Airtel Payments Bank
India Post Payments Bank
FINO Payments Bank
D. FINO Payments Bank
Fino Payments Bank has launched Jan Bachat Khata, an Aadhaar Authentication based digital savings account that brings neo-banking experience to consumers. The primary segment would be low income household families and beneficiaries of government’s direct benefit transfer (DBT).
Q9. Which company has announced a new initiative called The Anywhere School, to boost online education?
Microsoft
Facebook
Google
IBM
C. Google
The new initiative will be rolling out over 50 new features across Meet, Classroom, G Suite and other products to hundreds of thousands of viewers in more than 250 countries around the world.
Q10. ‘India Tomorrow: Conversations with the Next Generation of Political Leaders’ is authored by
Jhumpa Lahiri and Khushwant Singh
Pradeep Chhibber and Harsh Shah
Vikram Seth and Chetan Bhagat
Kiran Desai and Preeti Shenoy
B. Pradeep Chhibber and Harsh Shah
It is written by academicians Pradeep Chhibber and Harsh Shah. According to publisher Oxford University Press (OUP), the book attempts to unravel the personalities, aspirations, ideologies, interests, passions and motivations of the leaders featured. This book will give readers a snapshot of contemporary Indian politics through interviews of 20 of the country”s most prominent next-generation politicians.
68,000 MSMEs in Assam to get aid under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowaltold that 68,000 MSMEs in Assam to be benefited by the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. He also reviewed the implementation status of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme for MSMEs of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
The chief minister urged the MSME owners to take advantage of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative and to play their part in work towards achieving economic progress of the state.
The state government had held meeting with the banks to facilitate collateral free loans to 68,000 MSMEs in the state.
Assam’s farmers could sell vegetables worth Rs 852 crore and fish, meat and eggs worth Rs 150 crore during the lockdown period, Sonowal stressed on the need to become self-reliant in agriculture and allied sectors by increasing production.
Assam has been able to fulfil its own requirement of fish while also exporting fish to neighbouring states and he highlighted the earning of more than Rs 11 crore by women self help groups through production of face masks.
A package of Rs.3 lakh crore was announced for helping the MSMEs under Atma Nirbhar Abhiyan by the central government.
BBC-Hindi document series features Assam’s feminist movement pioneer Chandraprabha Saikiani
The BBC Hindi has featured the story of Chandraprabha Saikiani, pioneer of the feminist movement in Assam in its short documentary series.
The BBC-Hindi document series will feature ten women who have contributed to strengthen the democratic system, raised their voice on women’s rights and worked as social reformers.
Sakiani fought against patriarchal structures that prevailed in society during her days and opened a primary school at the age of 13. She also played role in the freedom movement and in the Congress.
Saikiani raised her voice against stigmatisation of women at the Nagaon session of the Asam Sahitya Sabha.
She was a single-mother at a time when it was something unbelievable in Assamese society. The documentary also speaks about the journey Saikiani undertook throughout the State on a bicycle to create awareness among the womenfolk about their rights in society.
UAE honours Indian businessman Firoz Goulam Merchant for philanthropic work
The UAE Ministry of Interior honoured Indian businessman Firoz Goulam Merchant for his exemplary community services. The excellence certificate and citation was handed over to Merchant by Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.
Merchant, the proprietor of Pure Gold Jewellers, launched a philanthropic movement called the Forgotten Society in 2008.
Spearheading this initiative, Merchant worked tirelessly with several correctional institutions to identify debt-ridden prisoners and assisted them in repaying debts to the tune of millions, thereby securing their release and providing free air passage to their respective countries.
UP to launch One District, One Product to benefit state’s farmers
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has announced that it will implement ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) scheme for the farmers in the selected 45 districts of Uttar Pradesh. The scheme is expected to benefit lakhs of the farmers of the state.
Agricultural products will be selected on the basis of agro-climatic zone, product quality, taste, aroma, nutritional and medicinal properties, and export potential. And farmers of the respective districts have been recommended about growing specific crops.
The scheme will help in making agricultural produces like gram of Bundelkhand, Chitrakoot, Hamirpur, Mahoba and Sonbhadra, the millet of Badaun and fresh vegetables of Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar famous across the country.
Agricultural products like ‘Kalanamak rice’ of Siddharthanagar, banana fibre of Kushinagar, banana of Kaushambi, jaggery of Ayodhya, aamla of Pratapgarh, pulses of Balrampur and Gonda, desi ghee of Auraiya, handicraft made of wheat stalk in Bahraich etc. are included in the ODOP scheme.
August 23, 2020
Jorhat gets cleanest city in the Northeast region
Jorhat has been conferred the Swachh Survekshan 2020 award for the cleanest city in the Northeast region under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
The selection was from among urban areas which had a population between 50,000 to 1 lakh. The population of Jorhat covered by the Jorhat Municipal Board as per the 2011 census was 71782.
Apart from Jorhat, four more Assam cities Tezpur, Diphu, Sivasagar, and Karimganj have secured positions on the list of cleanest cities.
Under the 25, 000 to 50,000 population category, Mokukchung in Nagaland won cleanest city in the Northeast Zone award.
Jiribam in Manipur bagged cleanest city in the northeast zone in below 25,000 population category.
New Green Subsidiary proposed by NTPC
Govt of India power generation company NTPC proposes to set up a wholly-owned subsidiary to house its growing renewable energy portfolio so that more focus is brought into the business that holds the potential of being the next growth engine for India.
NTPC had installed a generation capacity of close to 63,000 ME. It has 5,000 MW of commissioned renewable energy projects
It proposes to have 32,000 ME of renewable energy capacity under its hold by 2032. Of the 32,000 MW renewable energy capacity, nearly 10,000 MW of solar capacity is proposed to be commissioned till 2022.
It aims is to take up renewable capacity to 30 per cent of its total operations by 2032.
It is also looking at expanding hydro operations and setting up 2,000 MW of nuclear capacity.
Uttar Pradesh partners Israel to resolve Bundelkhand Water Crisis
The Uttar Pradesh and Israel governments signed a ‘plan of cooperation’ to resolve water crisis in Bundelkhand region of the state.
The India Israel Bundelkhand Water Project comprises three key components including water conservation, water efficient transportation and advanced water practices for agriculture.
The agreement has been signed for two years and will be extended later. The project aims to address water crisis in drought hit regions of Bundelkhand.
It will help farmers of the region with latest farming technologies, including drip irrigation, meant for water deficient regions like Bundelkhand.
Ministry of Skill Development partners with Ministry of Shipping
Union Ministry of Shipping entered into a pact with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) for skilling, re-skilling and upskilling of manpower.
The aim behind the MoU is to facilitate the manpower to encash employment opportunities available in India and global maritime sectors.
The MSDE will cooperate in development of course curriculum, national occupational standards, content, etc for cruise tourism, logistics, fisheries, ship building, ship repair and ship breaking, dredging, offshore supply chain, etc.
It will leverage existing infrastructure such as ITIs to train manpower required as per the skill gaps of the coastal districts.
Skill development of coastal communities is an important objective of the Sagarmala programme and a budget of Rs 100 crore has been allocated for coastal community development activities.
Indian Coast Guard launches Interceptor Boat ‘ICGS C-454’
Indian Coast Guard launches interceptor boat Interceptor Boat `ICGS C-454′, built by Larsen and Toubro.
The 27-meter-long boat has a maximum speed of 45 nautical miles or 83 kilometers per hour, and has excellent seakeeping, maneuverability and endurance range of 500 nautical miles.
FACTFILE – Indian Coast Guard (ICG)
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is an Armed Force, Search and Rescue and Maritime Law Enforcement agency that protects India’s maritime interests and enforces its maritime law, with jurisdiction over the territorial waters of India, including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone.
It was formally established on 18 August 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978 of the Parliament of India.
Assam to bring bill to protect state’s heritage sites
The Assam government has planned to bring a legislation to protect various heritage sites of the state.
The Assam Heritage (tangible) Protection, Preservation Conservation and Maintenance Bill, 2020 was prepared by the Directorate of Archaeology.
It will be placed in the next Cabinet meeting; and following its nod, the Bill will be presented in the forthcoming four-day Assembly session.
The Bill proposes to provide protection, preservation, conservation, maintenance, restoration, development and promotion of the State heritage sites and objects — other than those declared by or under the law made by Parliament to be of national importance or those covered under the ‘Assam Ancient Monuments and Records Act-1959’.
The heritage sites include xatras, monasteries, stupas, naamghars, masjids, dargahs, and churches besides socio-cultural institutions and habitation structures having traditional architectures as well as monuments and their precincts.
The Bill also includes artifacts, sculptures, paintings, handicrafts, and manuscripts that have been in existence for not less than 75 years.
Endangered Madagascan moon moth spotted in Nagaland
The endangered Madagascan moon moth spotted in Noklak deputy commissioner’s office.
The Madagascan moon moth is native to the rain forest of Madagascar. Although endangered in the wild due to habitat loss, it has been bred in captivity.
The male moon moth has a wingspan of 20 cm and a tail span of 15 cm, making it one of the world’s largest silk moths.
Madagascan moon moth is one of the beautiful lepidopterans. It is nocturnal and does not fly in day time.
Medagascan moon moths are spotted occasionally in the Indo-Myanmar region having a large forested area and rich biodiversity of flora and fauna.
Rajiv Kumar appointed as new Election Commissioner
Union government has appointed former finance secretary Rajiv Kumar as the new Election Commissioner of India.
A 1984-batch IAS officer from Jharkhand cadre, Rajiv Kumar has over three decades of experience in public policy and administration across various sectors.
He was designated as finance secretary in July 2019 and played a major role in merging 10 public sector banks into four.
FACTFILE – Election Commissioners of India
Election Commissioners of India are members of Election Commission of India, a body constitutionally empowered to conduct free and fair elections in India to the national and state legislatures.
Until 1989, the commission was a single member body, but later two additional Election Commissioners were added. Thus, the Election Commission currently consists of a Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.
The decisions of the commission are taken by a majority vote.
Sunil Arora is the current 23rd Chief Election Commissioner and the two Election Commissioners are Rajiv Kumar and Sushil Chandra.
National Sports Awards 2020
Union Government has announced the National Sports Awards for the year 2020.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
Cricketer Rohit Sharma, Para-Athlete Mariyappan Thangavelu, Table Tennis player Manika Batra, Wrestler Vinesh Phogat and Indian Women’s Hockey team captain Rani Rampal will receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.
Arjuna Award
27 sportspersons have been selected for the Arjuna Award for their outstanding performance for four years. Archer Atanu Das, Athlete Dutee Chand, Shuttlers Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag C Shetty, Basketball player Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Boxers Subedar Manish Kaushik and Lovlina Borgohain, Cricketer Ishant Sharma and Deepti Sharma, Equestrian player Sawant Ajay Anant, Footballer Sandesh Jhingan, Golfer Aditi Ashok, Hockey players Akashdeep Singh and Deepika, Kabaddi player Deepak, Kho Kho player Kale Sarika Sudhakar, Rower Dattu Baban Bhokanal, Shooter Manu Bhaker and Saurabh Chaudhary, Table Tennis player Madhurika Suhas Patkar, Tennis player Divij Sharan, Winter Sports player Shiva Keshavan, Wrestlers Divya Kakran and Rahul Aware, Para Swimmer Suyash Narayan Jadhav, Para Athlete Sandeep and Para Shooter Manish Narwal.
Dronacharya (Life-Time) Award
Dronacharya (Life-Time) Award will be given to Dharmendra Tiwary for Archery, Purushotham Rai for Athletics, Shiv Singh for Boxing, Romesh Pathania for Hockey, Krishan Kumar Hooda for Kabaddi, Vijay Bhalchandra Munishwar for Para Powerlifting, Naresh Kumar for Tennis and Om Parkash Dahiya for Wrestling.
Dronacharya Award – Regular Category
In Regular Category, Dronacharya Award will be given to Jude Felix Sebastian for Hockey, Yogesh Malviya for Mallakhamb, Jaspal Rana for Shooting, Kuldeep Kumar Handoo for Wushu and Gaurav Khanna for Para Badminton.
Dhyan Chand Award
Dhyan Chand Award will be given to Kuldip Singh Bhullar and Jincy Philips for Athletics, Pradeep Shrikrishna Gandhe and Trupti Murgunde for Badminton, N. Usha and Lakha Singh for Boxing, Sukhvinder Singh Sandhu for Football, Ajit Singh for Hockey, Manpreet Singh for Kabaddi, J. Ranjith Kumar for Para Athletics, Satyaprakash Tiwari for Para Badminton, Manjeet Singh for Rowing, Nandan P Bal for Tennis, and Netarpal Hooda for Wrestling. Late Sachin Nag will be confered the award for swimming.
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award will be given to Anita Devi, Col. Sarfraz Singh, Taka Tamut, Narender Singh and Keval Hiren Kakka in Land Adventure category. Satendra Singh will get the award in Water Adventure categoty and Gajanand Yadava will get it in the Air Adventure category. Late Magan Bissa will be confered the award in Life Time Achievement category.
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar
Lakshya Institute and Army Sports Institute will be honoured with Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar for identification and nurturing of budding and young Talent.
Indian Govt issues ‘rules of origin’ guidelines for imports under trade pacts
The Union government has come up with guidelines for the enforcement of the ‘rules of origin’ for imports under trade agreements. The Customs (Administration of Rules of Origin under Trade Agreements) Rules, 2020 (CAROTAR) will come into effect on September 21, 2020.
The Department of Revenue noted that the ‘Rules of Origin’, by virtue of which a good attains origin of a country, have evolved with subsequent reviews of trade agreements and most trade agreements have moved from single general rule to specific rule for most of the tariff lines, with inclusion of vast array of processes which can confer origin.
The CAROTAR, 2020 has provided a form, containing a list of basic minimum information which an importer is required to obtain while importing goods under claim of preferential rate of duty.
IIT-Bombay awards degrees to student avatars, world’s first institute to do so
The IIT-Bombay held its 58th Convocation in which the personalized ‘avatars’ of students were awarded degrees from the ‘virtual figure’ of the Director Suhasis Chaudhari. It is the first instance in the world.
The Chief Guest of the prestigious virtual convocation was Prof Duncan Haldane, the Co-recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize for Physics, and Stephen Schwarzman, Chairman and Co-Founder of Blackstone was the guest of honour.
Subhasis Chaudhuri also presented the IIT-Bombay’s annual report for 2019-2020, while Prof. Haldane and Schwarzman addressed the students.
India’s longest river ropeway inaugurated in Guwahati
Assam Ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma and Siddhartha Bhattacharya inaugurated the Guwahati Ropeway over Brahmaputra river, which is India’s longest river ropeway.
The ropeway project connects northern and southern banks of the Brahmaputra river and will take about seven minutes to take passengers across the river from North Guwahati to Guwahati.
The ropeway is 2km long and each carriage will be able to carry 32 passengers at a time.
The entire project has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 56 crore. The cable car cabins for this project have been imported from Switzerland.
Indo-Bangladesh inland waterway route trial-run on to begin in September 2020
The trial run in the Sonamura-Daudkandi inland waterways protocol route will start in the first week of September 2020.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority has given permission for trial run of voyage from Daundkandi (Cumilla) to Sonamura via river Gomati. The Gomti river was chosen for having sufficient water for movement of boats and small ships.
During the trial run, 50 MT cement will be transported in a barge from Dhaka to Sonamura. This is for the first time in history that any kind of goods will be reaching Tripura by ship.
The Sonamura-Daudkandi route was included in the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route that was signed by both High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das and shipping secretary of Bangladesh Mohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury at Dhaka in May month.
Nitin Gadkari calls for adoption of green fuel for public transport
Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways has called for adopting advanced public transport models, based on green energy such as biofuel, electricity and CNG.
Most of the State Road Transport Undertakings (SRTUs) are incurring huge expenditure on conventional fuels which are expensive and called for moving over to biofuels, CNG and electricity as transportation fuel. India is spending huge amounts on import of crude oil/hydrocarbons, which needs to be reduced.
As an example of successful workability of the use of biofuels and other greener fuels, Nagpur has started to convert 450 buses into biofuel-run vehicles and as many as 90 buses have already been converted so far.
Union Minister called for adopting the ‘London Bus model’ harnessing utilisation of private capital for better public transport and suggested that adopting double-decker buses by the operators will also improve the efficiency of public transport.
Tech Mahindra joins Niti Aayog to support women entrepreneurs
Indian IT major Tech Mahindra announced a partnership with NITI Aayog to empower women entrepreneurs in the country.
Tech Mahindra will provide mentorship, co-create solutions leveraging new-age technologies and support in partnership with the panel’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP).
Tech Mahindra and WEP will jointly focus on breeding new ideas, identifying gaps and providing technological prowess to develop innovative solutions for better positioning in the market and commercial success.
Tech Mahindra’s lab will support women entrepreneurs through joint research, building go-to-market strategies to drive their growth and by leveraging next-generation technologies to develop cutting-edge solutions.
FACTFILE – Tech Mahindra Limited
Tech Mahindra Limited is an Indian multinational technology company, providing information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing (BPO) services.
It is a subsidiary of the Mahindra Group, the company is headquartered in Pune.
The company was ranked 5th in India’s IT firms and overall 47th in Fortune India 500 list for 2019.
Indian researchers develop eco-friendly lithium batteries
Researchers from Shiv Nadar University in Greater Noida and Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay have created environment-friendly lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries.
This innovation will aid the production of cost-effective, compact, energy-efficient, safe and environment-friendly Li-S batteries, offering a viable alternative to the lithium-ion batteries being used presently.
The Li-S battery technology has the potential to aid multi-billion dollar industries, including tech gadgets, drones, electric vehicles (EV), etc, that depend on such batteries.
Arjun Munda e-inaugurates ‘Tribes India Showroom’ in Mumbai
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda e-inaugurated a ‘Tribes India Showroom’ in Indian Globe Chambers, Mumbai.
In a bid to boost sales and enhance tribal income in these challenging times, Tribes India on Wheels – mobile vans stacked fully with Van Dhan natural produce, immunity boosters and other tribal products – has now been launched.
These will take these products directly to the customer’s doorstep in 150 cities across the country.
In a solid push to the existing infrastructure, two production centres for Minor Forest Produce processing as a part of the TRIFOOD project, in association with MoFPI and NSTFDC are being set-up in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, and Raigad, Maharashtra – giving many thousands of tribals employment opportunities.
The first serological survey in Assam was launched by the minister of state for health, Pijush Hazarika, in a bid to assess whether people have developed immunity to COVID19 or not.
The serological survey involves testing of the blood serum of individuals to check for the prevalence of antibodies against an infection.
The survey, titled ‘Assessment of Anti- SARSCoV2 Seroprevalence in Habitants of Assam: A population-based cross-sectional study’, is an initiative of an NGO in partnership with a diagnostics solutions provider.
Hazarika lauded the efforts of Padmapani Bora, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer from Assam.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has advised states to conduct sero survey to measure COVID19 exposure among people using IgG Elisa Test (antibody test).
It can reveal insights into the immunity against COVID19 by detecting the presence of specific antibodies against COVID19.
National Health Mission, Assam has directed all deputy commissioners of the districts in the state to support the study.
E-auction portal to boost trade of GI tagged ‘Kashmir Saffron’
To promote trading of GI tagged ‘Kashmir Saffron’ the Department of Agriculture under the aegis of India International Kashmir Saffron Trading Centre (IIKSTC) has created a PAN India e-Auction portal in collaboration with NSE-IT.
The saffron growers of Kashmir valley and buyers across India have been requested to register themselves as “SELLERS and BUYERS for E- Trading on the e-Auction portal www.saffroneauctionindia.com, so that hassle free e-Trading between registered Growers and registered Buyers is ensured.
FACTFILE – Saffron
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the “saffron crocus”.
It is believed that saffron originated in Iran. Iran produces some 90% of the world total for saffron.
Saffron has long been the world’s most costly spice by weight, at US $5,000 per kg or higher.
Kerala’s first-ever Dragonfly Festival
WWF-India Kerala State Office is joining hands with the Society for Odonate Studies (SOS) and Thumbipuranam for the first-ever state Dragonfly Festival in Kerala, christened Thumbi Maholsavam 2020.
It is a part of the National Dragonfly Festival organised by WWF India, Bombay Natural History Society and Indian Dragonfly Society in association with National Biodiversity Board, UN Environmental Programme, UN Development Programme and IUCN-CEC.
Tamil Nadu women top the list of MUDRA loan scheme beneficiaries
Over 15 crore loans amounting to ₹78-lakh-crore have been disbursed to women borrowers since the inception of the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) with Tamil Nadu topping the list in availing the loan followed by women in West Bengal and Karnataka.
By March 31, 2020, women in Tamil Nadu had availed ₹58,227 crore loan from the scheme followed by West Bengal ₹55,232 crore, Karnataka ₹47,714 crore, Bihar ₹44,879 crore and Maharashtra ₹42,000 crore loan.
Loans under this scheme are extended to eligible borrowers for manufacturing, processing, trading, services, and activities allied to agriculture, which help in creating income-generating activities and employment.
FACTFILE – Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY)
Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) is a scheme launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on April 8, 2015 for providing loans upto ₹10 lakh to the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises.
These loans are classified as MUDRA loans under PMMY. These loans are given by Commercial Banks, RRBs, Small Finance Banks, Cooperative Banks, MFIs and NBFCs.
The borrower can approach any of the lending institutions mentioned above or can apply online through this portal.
Under the aegis of PMMY, MUDRA has created three products namely ‘Shishu’, ‘Kishore’ and ‘Tarun’ to signify the stage of growth / development and funding needs of the beneficiary micro unit / entrepreneur and also provide a reference point for the next phase of graduation / growth.
August 27, 2020
AAI launches Krishi-Udan Scheme for marketing of Northeast farm produce
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has launched the Krishi-Udan Scheme To facilitate the marketing of agricultural and farm products of the northeastern states outside the region.
Under the Scheme, the services have been started in the region and it is aimed to benefit the local farmers and villagers whose products have higher value outside the region.
The first domestic dedicated freighter of budget carrier SpiceJet from Kolkata bringing 5,800 kgs of air cargo landed at the Lengpui Airport in Mizoram capital Aizawl. In return, outgoing cargo flight from Mizoram, different types of local products such as orange, lemon, banana, ginger, pineapple and cut flowers were carried to Kolkata.
FACTFILE – Airports in Northeast India
There are 12 airports in the northeast – Guwahati, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur, Tezu and Pasighat (Arunachal Pradesh), Agartala (Tripura), Imphal (Manipur), Shillong (Meghalaya), Dimapur (Nagaland) and Lengpui (Mizoram).
Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport is the 11th busiest airport in India, by passenger traffic, aircraft movement and cargo handled for fiscal year 2019-20.
At 34th position is Agartala Airport, at 39th position is Imphal Airport and at 48th position is Dibrugarh Airport.
Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash is world’s fastest human calculator
Neelakanta Bhanu Prakash, 21, from Hyderabad, has been declared the world’s fastest human calculator after bagging India’s first-ever gold in the Mental Calculation World Championship at the Mind Sport Olympiad in London.
Neelakanta Bhanu Prakash, now a graduate of Mathematics from St Stephen’s College, realised early on that he had a natural tenacity for numbers.
He also has four world records and 50 Limca Book of Records.
Another Indian Aaryan Shukla taking the bronze medal in the junior category.
Russia’s Rosatom to make Nuclear-Fuel for India’s VVER-1000 Reactors
Russia’s integrated nuclear power player ‘Rosatom’ will make uranium-plutonium REMIX fuel matrix for India’s VVER-1000 reactors. The remix fuel will be made at the site of the Siberian Chemical Combine (SCC) — part of TVEL Fuel Company, a group company.
India has two functional VVER-1000 reactors and two more under construction at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu. Two more VVER-1000 units 5 and 6 will also come up at Kudankulam.
FACTFILE – Water-water energetic reactor (WWER) or VVER
VVER is a series of pressurized water reactor designs originally developed in the Soviet Union, and now Russia, by OKB Gidropress.
The idea of a reactor was proposed at the Kurchatov Institute by Savely Moiseevich Feinberg.
These were originally developed before the 1970s, and have been continually updated. As a result, the name VVER is associated with a wide variety of reactor designs spanning from generation I reactors to modern generation III+ reactor designs.
Power output ranges from 70 to 1300 MWe, with designs of up to 1700 MWe in development. The first prototype VVER-210 was built at the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant.
VVER power stations have been mostly installed in Russia and the former Soviet Union, but also in China, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, India, and Iran.
West Bengal launches ‘Krishak Bondhu’ welfare scheme for farmers
West BengalChief Minister Mamata Banerjee introduced a welfare scheme, ‘Krishak Bondhu’, for the farmers, which would support them in carrying out agricultural activities.
Most of the agricultural fields have gone under water due to the flood like situation. The distressed farmers should be incorporated in the 100-day work schemes immediately.
All the district administrators must ensure that rain water is pumped out of the agricultural fields so that farmers can resume cultivation in their respective lands.
Relief funds should be disbursed soon to those who have been affected in Cyclone Amphan.
Assam to invest Rs 900 crore to set up skill development varsity
The Assam government decided to set up a Skill Development University at Mangaldoi with an investment of Rs 900 crore. The state cabinet has approved the Assam Skill Development University Bill which would facilitate the setting up of the university, first of its kind in the northeastern region.
The Assam Government has tied up with Singapore based ITE Education Service, for setting up of the Skill Development University.
Around 100 bigha land (16 hectares) would be allotted at Mangaldoi in northern Assam to set up the varsity.
Piyush Goyal launches national GIS-enabled land bank system
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal launched the national GIS-enabled land bank system, which will help investors to get real-time information about the availability of industrial land and resources.
The prototype system is being developed by integrating the Industrial Information System (IIS) with state GIS (Geographic Information System). And will be developed further with inputs from states to make it an effective and transparent mechanism for land identification as well as procurement.
The IIS portal is a GIS-enabled database of industrial areas/clusters across the states. Around 3,300 industrial parks across 31 states/UTs covering about 4,75,000 hectare land have been mapped on the system.
The information available includes forest, drainage; raw material heat maps (agricultural, horticulture, mineral layers); multiple layers of connectivity.
Marieke Lucas Rijneveld becomes the youngest winner of International Booker Prize 2020
Dutch author Marieke Lucas Rijneveld won the 2020 International Booker prize together with their translator Michele Hutchison for the debut novel The Discomfort of Evening, a story of childhood grief.
At 29 year of age, Rijneveld is the youngest author to win the prestigious prize.
Rijneveld is the first Dutch author to win the prize and only the third Dutch author to be nominated, after Tommy Wieringa and Harry Mulisch.
Rijneveld’s book was a bestseller in Netherlands when it was published in 2018.
It is based on the story a 10-year-old girl named Jas, whose brother dies in an ice-skating accident and the family’s subsequent struggle with grief.
The Delhi government launched ”Healthy Body, Healthy Mind” campaign for students confined to their homes as schools remain closed in view of coronavirus pandemic.
State Govt has started a YouTube channel on which every Wednesday, a video will be uploaded which the students can practice for the week to maintain fitness and make up for the loss of physical activity during the pandemic.
An online Entrepreneurial Mindset (EMC) Bootcamp organised by the government to inculcate entrepreneurial abilities among the students.
