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Assam Current Affairs – March 01 – 07, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – March 1 - 7, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of March 1 – 7, 2020 )

March 2020 Current Affairs Monthly PDF  |  Assam 2020 Yearbook  | March 2020 Quiz Monthly PDF

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MARCH 01, 2020

Assam targets 400 MW of solar power within 2 years
  • The government is planning to harness around 400 MW of grid-connected solar power through developers in about two years’ time.
  • In Phase I, the power utility is developing five projects totalling 100 MW through private entities under ‘Built, Own, Operate’ mode in five locations of the State.
  • M/s Azure Power is developing three 25 MW solar projects at Rowta, Boko and LalangkittaLabocpar (Cachar) and another of 16 MW at Samaguri, Nagaon.
  • A 10 MW solar project is also being developed by M/s Maheswari Mining at Padumoni, Nagaon. 
  • The APDCL will purchase power from them and the rates have been fixed through reverse auction.
  • The APGCL is developing the 70 MW Amguri solar project, the work order for which has been given.
  • The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has sanctioned a 70 MW solar plant in Dima Hasao, while the Solar Energy Corporation of India has allotted a 30 MW project for Assam under the VGF scheme for supply of power to Central PSUs.
MoS Jitendra Singh launches Pension Adalat & NPS Awareness and Grievance Redressal Programme in Jammu
  • Union Minister of State (independent charge) Jitendra Singh inaugurated the Pension Adalat and National Pension System (NPS) Awareness and Grievance Redressal Programme at the Convention Centre.
  • The redressal programme is being conducted by the Department of Pension and Pensioners” Welfare, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India.
  • The minister also launched the “Do You Know” Twitter series on family pension, along with a booklet highlighting case studies with interpretation of pension rules.
  • The minister said that Pension Adalats will help in on-the-spot redressal of pensioners” grievances which will give the right of “ease of living” to the pensioners.
MOU between Indian Air Force and Savitribai Phule Pune University for academic collaboration
  • As a unique initiative of Indian Air Force. the IAF and SavitribaiPhule Pune University entered into an academic collaboration by signing a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a ‘Chair of Excellence’ at Department of Defence & Strategic Studies.
  • To pay tribute to the legend and commemorate the centenary birth year of the MIAF, the IAF has named it as “Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Chair of Excellence”.
  • The Chair will enable IAF officers to pursue Doctoral Research and higher studies in Defence & Strategic Studies and allied fields.
  • The chair will facilitate research and higher studies in the area of National Defence and allied fields of Air Force officers.
  • The chair would facilitate inculcating astrategic outlook and building a pool of strategic thinkers.
Centre to skill women for jobs in auto sector at IIT Haryana
  • A training centre for skilling women to get jobs in the automobile sector was inaugurated at the IIT in Ambala in Haryana.
  • The centre in the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) has been set up by Hero MotoCorp Ltd in association with the state”s Skill Development and Industrial Training Department and the United Nations Development Programme.
  • Industrial skilling to women students would be ensured through fully functional technician training labs.
  • The centre will also train students to drive two-wheelers to ensure their mobility.
  • With the objective of ”Hunar se kamyabitak”, Hero MotoCorp has so far imparted skilling to over 20,000 people through state-of-the-art skill development centres across the country.

 

MARCH 02, 2020
PM Modi launches campaign for setting up of 10,000 FPOs
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a campaign to set up 10,000 new farmer producer organisations (FPOs) across the country in the next five years.
  • Modi said a new FPO will be set up to increase the income of the farmers and to empower them. This will enable the farmers to market and process the crops along with producing them. Rs 5,000 crore will be spent on this in the next five years.
  • Modi also distributed Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to 10 beneficiary farmers of PM-Kisan.
  • The KCCs are being distributed to farmers from 28,000 branches of banks across the country as part of a special campaign by the government to provide KCC facilities to all beneficiaries of PM-Kisan.
ICAR inks MoU with Patanjali Bio Research Institute, Haridwar
  • The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Patanjali Bio Research Institute (PBRI), Haridwar at the National Agricultural Science Centre Complex, New Delhi.
  • TrilochanMohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) and Shri Acharya Balkrishna, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Patanjali& Managing Director, PBRI inked the MoU on the behalf of their respective organizations.
  • As per the MoU, the specific work plans will be developed to work on the collaborative research programmes in the areas of national interest related to sustainable agriculture development suitable to different agro-ecologies of the country.
  • Under the MoU, the ICAR and PBRI will collaborate in mutually identified areas of training and education where the Post Graduate students of Deemed Universities & Research Institutes of ICAR may undertake internships in various areas of specialization with PBRI.
  • The ICAR will support PBRI in technology demonstration, capacity building, seed production for scaling up of the popular varieties developed by the ICAR and transferring them among the farming community of the country.
  • The MoU aims to foster the close interaction in research, capacity building, seed production, entrepreneurship and skill development.  
New explosive detection device, developed by DRDO &IISc Bangalore, unveiled in Pune
  • RaIDer-X, a new explosive detection device, was unveiled at the National Workshop on Explosive Detection (NWED-2020) in Pune.
  • RaIDer-X has the capability to detect explosives from a stand-off distance.
  • The data library can be built in the system to expand its capability to detect a number of explosives in pure form as well as with the contaminants.
  • Bulk explosive in concealed condition can also be detected by the device.RaIDer-X has been co-developed by High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) Puneand Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.          
  • The NWED-2020 was inaugurated by Secretary, Department of Defence Research &Developmentand Chairman Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) Dr G Satheesh Reddy.
  • The two-day workshop has been organised by HEMRL Puneon its diamond jubilee celebration. HEMRL
  • It provides a platform to scientists, technocrats and users to share knowledge, experience and updated information on the technological advancements made in the recent past.
  • The workshop will help in the further development of explosive detection devices and keep abreast on the recent development and advancements in the field of explosive detection.
Bimal Julka appointed Chief Information Commissioner (CIC)
  • Information Commissioner Bimal Julka was appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office to Julka as the CIC in the Central Information Commission at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
  • The transparency watchdog has been functioning without a chief after Sudhir Bhargava retired on January 11 and is at a reduced strength of six information commissioners, against the sanctioned strength of 11 (including the CIC).

FACTFILE – Central Information Commission

  • The Central Information Commission is a statutory body, set up under the Right to Information Act in 2005 under the Government of India to act upon complaints from those individuals who have not been able to submit information requests to a Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer due to either the officer not have been appointed, or because the respective Central Assistant Public Information Officer or State Assistant Public Information Officer refused to receive the application for information under the Right to Information Act.
  • The commission includes one chief information commissioner and not more than ten information commissioners who are appointed by the President of India on the recommendation of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister as Chairperson, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha; a Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister.

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MARCH 03, 2020
Rs 33 crore sanctioned for Kaziranga under Project Tiger scheme
  • Financial assistance to the tune of Rs 1.51 crore has been sanctioned to Kaziranga National Park during the financial years 2018-19 and 2019-2020 under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).
  • Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Babul Supriyo said that Rs 94,46,585 and Rs 51,24,670 were sanctioned to Kaziranga National Park during the financial years 2018-19 and 2019-2020 respectively under CAMPA.
  • Under the Project Tiger scheme, financial assistance of Rs 10.30 crore and Rs 22.81 crore were also sanctioned during the financial years 2018-19 and 2019-20 respectively to Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, which includes Kaziranga National Park.
  • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provides financial assistance to Assam for management of wildlife in national parks and sanctuaries, including for protection of animals during flood under schemes such as Development of Wildlife Habitats, Project Tiger and CAMPA.
  • Highlands and platforms have also been constructed in national parks to give shelter to animals during high flood.
  • Anti-poaching camps in strategic locations have also been constructed with sufficient armed guards, besides deployment of boats during flood and use of modern technologies like ‘electronic eye’ for smart patrolling.
European Investment Bank, UNEP sign pact to enhance climate actions
  • The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) agreed to deepen their cooperation to enhance climate and environmental actions.
  • The memorandum of understanding was signed in Brussels at a meeting between Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNEP, Inger Andersen, and EIB Vice President responsible for Climate Action and Environment, Emma Navarro.
  • The focus of the strategic cooperation will be on climate change, conservation, protection, enhancement and support of nature and natural resources, including biological diversity worldwide and circular economy.
  • Priority will be identification of a new pipeline of investment projects in the field of environment and climate change.
  • Science, policy responses and investments need to go hand-in-hand. This strategic partnership between UNEP and EIB comes at a crucial time, when scaling up financing for these transformations is essential.
IIT Mandi to set up farmer producer bodies in Himachal Pradesh
  • The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi and Enabling Women of Kamand (EWOK) Society will collaborate on setting up farmer producer organisations in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh.
  • The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 35 lakhs to IIT Mandi and EWOK Society to promote and set up three farmer producer organisations in three years.
  • IIT Mandi will provide its expertise in tourism, rural marts run by self-help groups, engineering solutions for farm-friendly equipment, research on the impact of climate change on agriculture incomes, among others.
  • The EWOK has been working with the women and families in Kamand area in both farm and non-farm sectors to encourage women entrepreneurs at the grassroots.
  • In the farm-related activities, along with IIT Mandi Medicinal Plant Laboratory, some successful pilot programmes have been run for the past two years.
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways launches IRAD System
  • Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has launched Integrated Road Accident Database (IRAD) System.
  • The primary purpose of IRAD is to enhance road safety, and thus endeavors to generate various types of insights through the Analytics Dashboard, Trend Analysis etc. and therefore, decision making by Apex Authorities.
  • The six states identified for piloting the project are Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
PM Modi lays foundation stone for Bundelkhand Expressway in Chitrakoot
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays foundation stone for Bundelkhand Expressway in Chitrakoot, distributes nearly 56,000 assistive aids to Divyang-jans and senior citizens at a Mega Camp in Prayagraj.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a SamajikAdhikaritaShivir organised by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment at Prayagraj.
  • PM Modi interacted with divyangajans at the event which turned out as the biggest ever distribution camp being conducted in the country in terms of the number of beneficiaries covered and number of appliances distributed.
  • PM Modi also distributed 56000 Assistive Aids and Devices of different types to 26000 Senior Citizens and Divyangjans.
  • The cost of aids and devices is over 19 crore. Assistive Aids and devices will help in enhancing economic development of these beneficiaries.

MARCH 04, 2020

President confers 61st Annual Lalit Kala Akademi Awards
  • The President of India, Shri Ram NathKovind, conferred the 61st annual Lalit Kala Akademi Awards on 15 meritorious artists at a function held at RashtrapatiBhavan.
  • Artwork of these artists will be on display till March 22, 2020, at the 61st National Exhibition of Art at the Lalit Kala Akademi galleries in New Delhi.
  • Lalit Kala Akademi organises art exhibitions and award ceremonies every year to promote art as well as to honour talents.
  • The exhibition brings together the works of brilliance from across the country and also encourages budding art talents to learn new tendencies and mediums in the world of painting, sculpture, graphics, photography, drawing, installation and multimedia etc.
  • The National Lalit Kala Akademi awards are conferred to recognize individuals for their outstanding work in the field of art. The awardees are selected by an esteemed panel of judges, nominated by the Akademi.
  • The awardees were honoured with a shawl, plaque and cash prize worth Rs 1 lakh.

 

List of winners of 61st annual National Lalit Kala Akademi Awards

S. No. Award Winner State
1 Anoop Kumar Manzukhi Gopi Thrissoor, Kerala
2 David Malakar Kolkata, West Bengal
3 Devendra Kumar Khare Vadodara, Gujarat
4 Dinesh Pandya Mumbai, Maharashtra
5 Faruque Ahmed Halder Kolkata, West Bengal
6 Hari Ram Kumbhawat Jaipur, Rajasthan
7 Keshari Nandan Prasad Jaipur, Rajasthan
8 Mohan Kumar T Bengaluru, Karnataka
9 Ratan Krishna Saha Mumbai, Maharashtra
10 Sagar Vasant Kamble Mumbai, Maharashtra
11 Satwinder Kaur New Delhi
12 Sunil Thiruvayur Ernakulam, Kerala
13 Tejaswi Narayan Sonawane Solapur, Maharashtra
14 Yashpal Singh Delhi
15 Yashwant Singh Delhi

FACTFILE –  Lalit Kala Akademi

  • The Lalit Kala Akademi, the National Academy of Artswas set up by the central government as an autonomous body on August 5, 1954.
  • The Akademi received statutory authority in 1957 under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
  • The Akademi aims to involve all genres of creativity in its activities and has a vision that takes care of both traditional Indian art as well as contemporary art by helping artists imbibe many contemporary happenings in the international art scene.
Ajay Bhushan Pandey appointed to be the new Finance Secretary
  • The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the designation of Ajay Bhushan Pandey as the new Finance Secretary.
  • Pandey, currently the Revenue Secretary in the Union Finance Ministry, will replace incumbent Rajiv Kumar.
  • A 1984 batch IAS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, he is known for his work with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and has also served as Chairman of Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN).
  • Pandey had taken charge as the Revenue Secretary in November 2018, replacing Hasmukh Adhia who was to retire at the end of the month.
Shafey Kidwai gets Sahitya Akademi Award
  • Noted bilingual critic, scholar and columnist, Professor Shafey Kidwai has received the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award (2019) for his seminal Urdu work ”Sawanah-e-Sir Syed – EkBazdeed”.
  • The book seeks to revisit the biographical details and literary accomplishments of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and it supplements what has escaped the attention of many biographers of Sir Syed including Khawaja Altaf Husain Hali.
  • Prof Kidwai, also Chairman, Department of Mass Communication, has been honoured with Madya Pradesh government”s prestigious award ”Iqbal Samman” in 2016 and Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy”s ”Amir Khusro Award” in 2018.
  • The SahityaAkademi has published his monograph on R.K. Narayan in 2009.
  • He has translated several books from English into Urdu including ”Michael Madhusudan Dutt” (1995) and ”Our Constitution” (2009). His book ”Khabar Nigari” (1988) is the first on the art of reporting in Urdu.
Mamata launches new housing scheme “Snehaloy” for poor people
  • West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a new housing scheme “Snehaloy” for poor people, under which the beneficiaries will receive Rs 1.20 lakh each from the state government to build houses.
  • The scheme is for those economically backward people who don’t qualify for the state government’s present housing scheme Bangle AwasYojana.
  • The money would be given in two tranches.
TN launches Rs 2,857 crore for TN Health System Reform Programme
  • Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami launched the Rs 2,857 crore Tamil Nadu Health System Reform Programme (TNHSRP).
  • The five-year programme focusses on three key areas — improved quality of care, management of non-communicable diseases & injuries, and reduced equity gaps in reproductive and child health.
  • Under the programme, quality certification of the government hospitals will also be undertaken, which will help improve the medical service.
  • It will focus on diagnosing non-communicalble diseases, like diabetes, cancer, blood pressure, breast cancer and psychological disorders at an early stage.
  • Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam said for the scheme Rs 1,999 crore would be the share of World Bank loan and the rest be provided by the state government.

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MARCH 05, 2020

Bongaigaon Refinery starts making BS-VI fuels
  • Bongaigaon Refinery, the ninth refinery of Indian Oil located at Dhaligaon in Chirang district, has been successfully producing BS (Bharat Standard)-VI motor spirit (petrol) since December 2019 and has set a target to produce BS-VI high-speed diesel by April 1, to match the government’s Auto Fuel Quality Vision Policy 2025.
  • The content of sulphur in BS-IV fuels is 50 parts per million (ppm) while in BS-VI grade fuels, it is 10 ppm.
  • The production of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) will be increased when the newly installed Indane Maximisation (INDMAX) unit in the refinery becomes fully functional.
  • Steps are being taken to increase the capacity of machinery units so that high-valued petroleum products can be made considering the demand in the market, this development will definitely bring better industrial prospects in the next 5-6 years in the entire region of lower Assam.
  • BGR has been maintaining anti-pollution measures strictly while discharging effluent and gaseous substances.
BRICS CCI announces launch of women’s wing
  • The BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BRICS CCI) has announced the launch of the BRICS CCI Women’s Wing with focus on women empowerment initiatives and policies across geographies.
  • The objective of the women’s wing is to create an enabling support system for women entrepreneurs and professionals across geographies.
  • Founded in 2012, BRICS CCI is empanelled with NITI Aayog and recognized by the United Nations.
  • While the BRICS nations will remain at the centre of all activities, the chamber has taken in its credo to reach out to and enable young entrepreneurs from other friendly nations too and bring stakeholders associated with women entrepreneurship across key countries under one platform.
  • The BRICS CCI Women’s wing will be led by ShabanaNasim, Governing Body Member, BRICS CCI, Shormishtha Ghosh, Director — Business Advisory, BRIC CCI and Ruby Sinha, Convenor, BRICS CCI Women”s wing and Honourary Advisor BRICS CCI.
  • One stop knowledge hub for women entrepreneurs globally, shetatwork.com will be the knowledge partner for the BRICS CCI Women”s wing.
  • An eminent advisory board comprising eminent women professionals from across countries is also being set up.
Govt launches amnesty scheme for late filings by LLPs
  • The government launched an amnesty scheme for condonation of delays in filings of documents by limited liability partnership (LLPs) firms.
  • The move is meant to make life easier for businesses who have been facing problems due to non-filing of returns.
  • It has been decided to give a one-time relaxation in additional fee to the defaulting LLPs to make good their default by filing pending documents and to serve as a compliant LLP in future.
  • The scheme – ”LLP Settlement Scheme, 2020”, will come into force on March 16 and shall remain in operation till June 13.
  • During the period, there would be one-time condonation of delay in filing statutorily required documents with the Registrar.
  • To reduce the burden on LLPs, they would be required to pay only Rs 10 as additional fee for each day delay in filing documents as against the earlier practice of Rs 100 for each day of delay.
  • The penalty on delayed filing will also be capped to a maximum of Rs 5,000 providing relief to LLPs, some of whom have not filed their documents for years.
  • LLPs are unique corporate structure that allows the flexibility of a partnership firm and advantages of limited liability of a company at a low compliance cost. Around 1.5 lakh LLPs are registered in India and about 1.3 lakh are active firms.
Union Cabinet approved consolidation of public sector into 4 big banks
  • The Union Cabinet approved the mega consolidation in public sector banks (PSBs) with effect from April 1, under which 10 state-run banks would be transformed into 4 big banks.
  • It also approved the scheme of merger submitted by the banks concerned which will be part of the process.
  • The amalgamations will enable creation of digitally driven consolidated banks with global heft and business synergies.
  • The amalgamation would result in creation of seven large PSBs with scale and national reach with each amalgamated entity having a business of over Rs 8 lakh crore.
  • The mega consolidation would help create banks with scale comparable to global banks and capable of competing effectively in India and globally.
Lok  Sabha passes Direct Tax ”Vivad se Vishwas” bill
    • Lok Sabha passed direct tax amnesty scheme Vivad se Vishwas bill. With mounting tax disputes, the government has had in Union budget come up with No Dispute but Trust Scheme (Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme) to settle the direct tax disputes.
    • Under the proposed amnesty scheme, a taxpayer would be required to pay only the amount of the disputed taxes and will get complete waiver of interest and penalty provided he pays the amount by March 31, 2020.
    • For disputed penalty, interest and fee not connected with the disputed tax, the taxpayer would be required to pay only 25 per cent of the same for settling the dispute.
    • A taxpayer shall be required to pay 110 per cent of the disputed tax (the excess 10 per cent shall be limited to the amount of related penalty and interest, if any) and 30 per cent of penalty, interest and fees in case of payment after March 31, 2020.
    • Those who avail this scheme after March 31, 2020 will have to pay some additional amount. The scheme will remain open till June 30, 2020.

 

MARCH 06, 2020

NABL accreditation status to State Public Health Laboratory, Assam
  • Minister of State for Health Piyush Hazarika formally inaugurated the NABL-accreditation status, sophisticated instruments facility of the State Public Health Laboratory, Assam and Food Safety on Wheels of the Commissionerate of Food Safety.
  • NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accreditation is the recognition that the laboratory is competent to carry out analysis works as per international standards.
  • The Bamunimaidam-based state public laboratory is the only state food testing laboratory in the entire North East and sixth in the country to be accredited by NABL.
  • Section 43 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 makes it mandatory for all food testing laboratories to be accredited.
  • Three highly sophisticated instruments have been provided by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) under a Central sector scheme.
  • The total cost of the instruments is approximately Rs. 8.50 crore.
4th Edition of the Women Transforming India Awards 2019
  • NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform is organising the Fourth Edition of the Women Transforming India Awards (WTI) on International Women’s Day.
  • The WTI will recognize 30 finalists and 15 winners will be felicitated. On this occasion, the Women Entrepreneurship Platform also completes two years since its inception.
  • The Women Transforming India Awards, instituted four years ago, is NITI Aayog’sendeavourto recognise and celebrate stories of exceptional women changemakers from across India.
  • Since 2018, the Women Transforming India Awards have been hosted under the aegis of the Women Entrepreneurship Platform on the theme of ‘Women and Entrepreneurship’.
  • The fifteen winners were chosen from a pool of more than 2,300applicants.
  • The Women Entrepreneurship Platform undertook an elaboratefive-month long process to identify inspiring stories of women entrepreneurs who are breaking the glass ceiling.
  • This process included a review of applications, jury and super jury roundswith assistance from mentors and partners of Women Entrepreneurship Platform.
  • The Women Entrepreneurship Platform seeks to transform the entrepreneurial ecosystem for women by bringing together stakeholders to offer information and services that will resolve the existing information asymmetry.
ARCI develops Fuel Cell Technology for Disaster Management
  • Scientists at International Advanced Research for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad, an autonomous R&D Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST) have developed Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cells (PEMFC).
  • PEMFC, in its entireness, have an advantage of operational capability at low-temperatures with applications in decentralised power generation systems.
  • Through intense R&D efforts in the area of fuel cell technologies, ARCI at its Centre for Fuel Cell Technology, Chennai has developed in-house PEMFC systems in the power range of 1 to 20 kiloWatt (kW).
  • The Government of Tamil Nadu decided to look at the prospect of converting the existing Control Room to EOC backed with 10 kW system along with fuel cell stack, air moving sub systems, power control devices and control and monitoring system.
  • ARCI demonstrated feasibility of providing power to EOCs. PEMFC stack with capacity of 5kW has been installed on mobile truck and demonstrated at Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TNSDMA).
  • J. Radhakrishnan, Commissioner, Revenue Administration and Disaster Management witnessed the demo and appreciated the prowess of PEMFC technology.
  • ARCI is now planning to set up a PEMFC system up to 10 kW capacity at Tamil Nadu State Emergency Operation Centre (TN SEOC) to operate the systems like early warning systems, VHF set, IP phone, BSNL Ethernet and office equipment like scanner, computers, printers, phone, FAX and normal requirements like lighting and fan.
World Bank announces 12billion aid to combat coronavirus outbreak
  • World Bank has unveiled a 12 billion dollar aid package that will provide fast-track funds to help countries combat the coronavirus outbreak.
  • The funds, some of which are targeted to the world’s poorest nations, can be used for medical equipment or health services and will include expertise and policy advice.
  • World Bank President David Malpass said the money will go to countries that request help. The bank has been in contact with many member nations.

 

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MARCH 07, 2020

Assam Lunches free dedicated bus service ‘BhramanSarathi’ for women, elderly
  • The State government announced a new scheme named ‘BhramanSarathi’ under which free and dedicated bus services will be provided for women and senior citizens within Guwahati.
  • Finance Minister HimantaBiswaSarma said the new scheme will not only ensure safe and comfortable travel but will also encourage them to use public transportation instead of private vehicles.
  • These buses, painted in pink colour, will be on some of the busiest routes through the day and will provide fast, safe and easy mobility to the women and the senior citizens.
  • The ASTC will provide free ride to unemployed youths for appearing in various examinations and job interviews.
  • The call letter and the date therein, provided for the interview will be considered as bus ticket for this purpose and the bus conductor will ensure free ride for these youths once a photocopy of the same is handed over to him.
  • The cost accrued against such free ride will be reimbursed to ASTC so that the financial health of ASTC is not compromised while implementing these schemes.
National Maritime Search and Rescue Workshop and Exercise ‘SAREX-2020’
  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was roped into the ongoing National Maritime Search and Rescue Workshop and Exercise (SAREX-2020) organised by the Indian Coast Guard off the coast of Goa.
  • 31 resource agencies, including the armed forces and other civilian agencies participated in the exercise, which was aimed at enhancing maritime search and rescue capabilities.
  • Utilised the services of ISRO for providing satellite images and other requirements
  • Maritime search and rescue operations continue to remain a challenge amid increasing maritime and fishing activity, which is further convoluted by frequent cyclones in Indian waters as well as incidents of plane disasters over the seas.
  • The exercise involved mass rescue operation of 220 personnel with the help of combined assets of multi-agencies including the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Customs and other state government agencies like the Captain of Ports and Marine Police.
  • The search and rescue exercise was co-ordinated by the ICG which is India’s nodal agency for maritime search and rescue operations.
Google India launches skill programme designed for women
  • Google India introduced DigiPivot, a skilling programme designed for women who are looking to return to their corporate careers after a break or simply planning to make mid career shifts to digital marketing.
  • Developed jointly in association with Avtar, a career portal service for women, and the Indian School of Business, the programme aims to influence the overall gender mix in the digital marketing landscape in India and will provide an opportunity for 200 women professionals to re-skill themselves.
  • Selected participants will go through a curated 18 week learning programme and engagement (both offline and online) that aims to empower the participants with digital marketing knowledge and tools as well as mentorship on strategic leadership skills.
  • The programme will culminate in a day long Graduation event at the Google Hyderabad Campus on August 28.
  • The programme is open to both women professionals who are currently working and those who are keen to return to the workforce with 4-10 years of experience in consulting, analytics, branding and sales and support with passion for digital marketing.
  • The programme is completely sponsored by Google and does not require participants to contribute to any registration, participation, travel or accommodation fees.

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Assam Current Affairs – February 22 – 29, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – February 22 - 29, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of February 22 – 29, 2020 )

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FEBRUARY 22, 2020

Assam CM lays foundation of 32 schemes in Majuli
  • Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stones of 32 schemes and projects and inaugurated 21 other projects in Majuli island that included the blood bank at the Shree Shree Pitmambar Devagoswami Sub-divisional Civil Hospital at Garmur.
  • The Rs 25.92-crore Majuli District Science Centre and Planetarium under Assam Technology and Environment Council of the State Science and Technology department, 28 pure drinking water supply schemes under the State Public Health Engineering department that will cost Rs 104.9 crore
  • Construction of the building to house District Transport Officer’s office that will cost Rs 2.03 crore.
  • Zonal office complex of the Brahmaputra Board at a cost of Rs 9.46 crore, a Rs-75-lakh project to check erosion by drone surveillance.
  • The Chief Minister in the same function launched 20 hybrid solar-powered and electricity irrigation schemes for Majuli the total cost which was Rs 37.53 lakh
  • Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated the blood bank at the Shree Shree Pitambar Devagoswami Sub-divisional Civil Hospital at Garmur.
18 percent growth in the collection of  State GST (SGST) in Assam
  • Speaking at the 3rd edition of ‘Emerging Northeast 2020’ – organized by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) in Guwahati, Assam Chief Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal said there is 18 percent growth in the collection of State GST (SGST) in the state and refunds have been made on time.
  • CM Sonowal urged the Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman to release the Central GST (CGST) and Integrated GST (IGST) refunds so that business community here gets encouragement to increase business activity.
  • Assam Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary invited investors to take advantage of Assam’s strategic location and rich resources in the state and said the Government is aiming to turn Assam as the investment destination.
  • During the round table meet, discussions were held on government initiatives and schemes for development of North Eastern region; opportunities for investment in various sectors like energy, services and infrastructure, food processing based on locally available resources, etc.
India, Maldives discuss expansion of bilateral cooperation
  • India and Maldives discussed expanding their bilateral cooperation and mutual interests in areas of security and law enforcement cooperation.
  • Union Home Minister Amit Shah and his Maldivian counterpart Sheikh Imran Abdulla discussed these issues among other specific points related to both the countries in day long meet in presence of delegation from both sides.
  • It was Shah’s first meeting with Abdulla, who is on a four-day visit to India beginning.
  • The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest in the area of security and law enforcement cooperation.
  • Both the Ministers welcomed the expansion of bilateral cooperation between their counties in diverse fields including policing and law enforcement, counter-terrorism, counter-radicalisation, against organised crime and drug trafficking and in capacity building.
  • The meeting was also attended by the Maldives” Minister of State for Home, the Union Home Secretary and other senior officers from both sides.
  • The Maldivian delegation also met the Director General, National Investigation Agency (NIA), Director, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the Director General, Central Bureau of Investigation, and Director, Enforcement Directorate.
Kerala IT startup launches social digital assistance platform
  • Kerala based IT startup launched a ”social digital assistance platform” – Bitdle.
  • This brings together the features of hybrid social networking, search engine, social shopping, sharing economy, online reputation building, CRM, data analytics, social service, entertainment, and above all, ”empowerment of society”.
  • Its Acore competency will be its social commitment as it will not end up making its users just consumers, killing time and other resources along.
  • Bitdle will deliver a wise concoction of hybrid virtual community platform, smart devices, virtual med pad, AI and VR (Intelligent Personal Assistance – IPA) and Facial and Object Identification System (FOIS).
  • Bitdle targets people in the age group of 18 to 35 while it”s ideal for businesses of any size – from startups to big corporates.
  • Connecting with peers, monitoring real-time situations and events, offer entertainment, collaborating ideas and events, educating masses, mobilizing public opinion and instant messaging/video chatting are some of the add-ons, besides people can spot trends, follow brands, share great finds and make purchases.
  • For businesses, the application can be used for optimization of costs, targeted marketing of products, targeted sourcing and human resources development.
FEBRUARY 23, 2020
Dr Amiya Rajbongshi receives NCSTC National Award
  • Eminent science writer and retired vice-Principal of North Lakhimpur College Dr Amiya Rajbongshi received the National Award for Outstanding Efforts in Science and Technology Communication through Print Media for the year 2019 from President Ram Nath Kovind at New Delhi.
  • Instituted by the National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), the award was presented to Dr Rajbongshi at a glittering function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on the occasion of National Science Day– the day which commemorates the discovery of Raman Effect by Nobel laureate physicist Dr CV Raman.
  • Dr Amiya Rajbongshi was presented a plaque, a citation and a of cash Rs 2 lakh.
  • Dr Rajbongshi was shortlisted for the prestigious award for her “science communication efforts are extended for dissemination of science to masses through print media and popular talks”.
Assam to remove “Maktab” from names of govt schools
  • The Assam government has decided to delete the Arabic word ”maktab” – traditional islamic elementary school – from the nomenclature of 63 state and state-aided primary schools immediately.
  • The state government has passed an order directing these schools to drop the word ”maktab” from their names”.
  • However, these schools would be allowed to retain the remaining part of their names.
  • The classical definition of Maktab refers to the traditional Islamic elementary school primarily teaching literacy and the Quran.
Scientists from BSI Shillong Centre discover new Balsam plant species
  • Botanical Survey of India (BSI) scientists have discovered a new species of Balsam plant in the North East region, again pointing to the rich plant biodiversity of the vast area.
  • Balsam plants are known as Demdeuka in Assamese, Gulmehendi in Hindi and Dushparijat in Sanskrit.
  • They have immense potential in the horticultural sector as beautiful flowers and as pot plants.
  • A few of them are used as wild leafy vegetables by different ethnic communities in states like Arunachal Pradesh.
  • A team of scientists comprising Dr M Murugesan, LR Meitei and C Lyngwa of the BSI Eastern Regional Centre, Shillong, collected a few interesting species of Balsam plants from various parts of Nokrek Biosphere Reserve of Garo Hills in Meghalaya.
  • They collected the Balsam plant species as a part of live plants collection for ex-situ conservation in the Barapani Experimental Botanical Garden.
  • Out of those samples, one species emerged to be a species unknown to science so far and it is distinctly different from all known species of the group due to the presence of smaller habit, pink and white bi-colour flowers and true bucciniform lower sepal with curved spur.
  • The species has been named in honour of a renowned botanist Professor Shasin Kumar Barthakur of the Gauhati University (GU) Botany Department for his contribution towards better understanding of the flora of North East India, along with his outstanding contribution to ethnobotany of the region.
  • This striking bi-coloured new species grows at an altitude ranging between 1,200 metres and 1,600 metres at the Nokrek peak.
PM  Modi opens Khelo India University Games in Cuttack
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the first Khelo India University Games in Cuttack.
  • Modi inaugurated the Games at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack through video link from Delhi.
  • The Khelo India campaign had played an important role in attracting youth towards sports and recognising young talents in every corner of the country.
  • When it started in 2018, 3,500 players took part in it. But just in three years, the players” number had crossed over 6,000.
  • The event was attended by several dignitaries and sportspersons, including Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
  • As many as 3,400 athletes from 159 universities will take part in 17 disciplines, including rugby that”s among the six team events.
  • The disciplines include archery, athletics, boxing, fencing, judo, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, badminton, basketball, football, hockey, table tennis, tennis, volleyball and kabaddi.

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FEBRUARY 24, 2020
Punjab CM conferred with ”Adarsh Mukhya Mantri Puraskar”
  • The Bhartiya Chhatra Sansad (BCS) conferred the prestigious ”Adarsh Mukhya Mantri Puraskar” (Ideal Chief Minister Award) on Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for his initiatives to ensure good governance and holistic development in the state.
  • The award was presented to Amarinder by former President Pranab Mukherjee at Vigyan Bhawan during the valedictory function of 10th edition of four-day national conclave of BCS.
  • The BCS also acknowledged Amarinder”s vast experience and the values he had practised, which had earned him recognition and eminence in society.
  • Ex-Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had received this award in 2015, followed by former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in 2016 and ex-Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar in 2017.
  • Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik won the award in 2018 and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in 2019.
IIMs, IITs Form Consortium to Promote Entrepreneurship
  • The IIMs and IITs have formed a consortium to promote entrepreneurship ecosystem through research and collaboration around innovation.
  • IIMs in Bengaluru, Kolkata and Kozhikode and IITs in Bombay and Madras have formed the Innovation-Venturing and Entrepreneurship in India Network (iVEIN) to leverage their strengths and work with incubators, investors and the government for disseminating knowledge.
  • The iVEIN network will facilitate research in the field among the academic fraternity and create avenues for disseminating knowledge through conferences and journal publications.
  • The network will also create a strategic bridge between stakeholders, strengthen the ecosystem and synthesise the knowledge that is in silos among different groups.
  • The network will also document Indian experiences in entrepreneurship and innovation and create a data-based knowledge for all stakeholders.
  • The initiative will give a fillip to entrepreneurship in the country by aiding policy formulation, implementing innovation and helping managerial practice.
Himachal Pradesh sets up two waste-to-energy plants
  • Himachal Pradesh has set up two waste-to-energy plants in the state, one of them is of 1.75 MW with an outlay of Rs 42 crore in Shimla, while another is of 1 MW in Manali.
  • Also, 5,633 individual households, 1,198 public and 370 community toilets have been set up.
  • They all have been commissioned under Swachh Bharat Mission in two years to ensure hygiene, waste management and sanitation.
  • The main objective of the mission is to eliminate the practice of open defecation by providing toilet facilities to the citizens of the state, converting dry toilets into flash toilets, ending the practice of manual scavenging and ensuring management of solid waste in modern and scientific manner.
  • The state government is also organising various awareness activities for behaviour change and public participation in the state.
  • Plants for waste manure are being set up in 40 urban bodies. A memorandum of understanding has been signed with cement companies to use waste collected from urban bodies as fuel.
Jagaddhatri-Harmohan Das Literary Award presented to Bhupendra Raichoudhury

The 17th Jagaddhatri-Harmohan Das Literary Award was presented to litterateur Dr Bhupendra Raichoudhury at a function organised at the Pandit Tirthanath Sarma Conference Hall.

  • Dr Raichoudhury, a former professor at Gauhati University, received the award for his book Jugo Sandhikshyanar Guwahati, a brief write-up about the history of the city from 1851 to 1950.
  • The award, instituted in 1985, has completed its 35 years. During the period, several noted personalities in the fields of philosophy, literature, religion, art and culture have been honoured with this award.
  • The biennial award, instituted in the name of educationist Harmohan Das and his wife Jagaddhatri Das, carries a citation, a memento and also a cash amount.

FEBRUARY 25, 2020

CM Sonowal launches Asom Darshan scheme
  • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched the Rs 710 crore Asom Darshan scheme, calling it a fulfilment of the promise to preserve and promote the state”s spiritual and historical heritage.
  • The comprehensive scheme seeks to develop religious places of all faiths, including 915 institutions.
  • He said the scheme would protect, conserve and develop Assam”s religious sites and tourism spots, which are not only mesmerising for their scenic beauty and historic importance, but are also icons of the state.
  • The scheme has four components — annuity grant to Devalayas; improving basic infrastructure of places of natural beauty and historical significance; improving key infrastructure in religious places; improved connectivity for visitors.
  • The 915 religious institutions include 459 temples, 186 ”satras” (Vaishnav monasteries), 123 namghars (prayer and community halls), 47 mosques and 27 churches.
  • To make the experience of tourists pleasant and seamless, a budget of Rs 10 lakh will be given to each tourist destination under the Asom Darshan scheme.
  • A budget of Rs 150 crore has been allocated under the Asom Darshan scheme to improve the infrastructure of 316 listed destinations.
  • A fixed amount would be provided to each place for construction of restrooms and providing clean drinking water and garbage disposal facilities.
  • The project has raised the annuity given to each religious and charitable institution of public nature by Rs 2 lakh and also promises one-time grant of Rs 1 lakh for CCTV set up.
Google launched 4th batch of ”Startups Accelerator India”
  • Google announced that it is inviting applications for the fourth batch of Google for Startups Accelerator India programme.
  • The programme mentors early-stage startups on various aspects of their business, across the areas of technology, product strategy, marketing, UX/UI and leadership.
  • According to the company, startups that use technology like AI/ML to solve systemic problems in India can submit their application by visiting ”Google for Startups Accelerator India” by 15th March 2020.
  • Successful applicants will be notified in early April. The batch will commence with a week”s mentorship-bootcamp in April 2020, in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
  • At Google for Startups Accelerator India programme, a batch consisting of 10 startups receive (for three months) intense mentorship bootcamps, tech workshops, design sprints, and marketing growth labs along with the opportunities to forge crucial connections to tech teams within Google and experts in the industry.
Microsoft, SBI partner to help youth with disabilities
  • Microsoft announced a collaboration with the SBI Foundation to create opportunities for youth living with disabilities across India.
  • Through this collaboration, Microsoft and the SBI Foundation will equip youth living with disabilities with the technology and training needed to better prepare them for integration into the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) workforce.
  • In its first year, the programme aims to upskill 500 youth for the BFSI jobs across five major geographies, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and the National Capital Region.
  • The programme will be driven in collaboration with various government organisations, industry skilling bodies and non-profits.
  • The goal of the programme is to build a sustainable and scalable programme that not only empowers youth with the skills they need to find employment in the financial services industry, but also advances cross-industry advocacy efforts to drive inclusion for and hiring of people living with disabilities.
  • As part of this joint effort, Microsoft and the SBI Foundation will also develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered marketplace that will enable the BFSI industry to more easily connect to people living with disabilities for upskilling and employment opportunities.

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FEBRUARY 26, 2020

North East states’ CMs reiterated for 90% central funding for all schemes, projects
  • Chief Ministers of north-eastern states have reiterated to maintain the funding pattern to 90:10 ratio in all central government sponsored schemes and projects including Smart City projects.
  • The demand to revise the funding pattern for all schemes and projects from 50:50 ratio to 90:10 ratio was raised by the chief ministers of northeastern states in the ongoing three-day Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Conclave 2020 in Guwahati.
  • Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has demanded revision of existing 50:50 fund sharing pattern to 90:10 for various schemes and projects like Smart City for the northeastern states.
  • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang also supported the Tripura Chief Minister”s demand for 90:10 funding pattern.
  • NITI Aayog has the mandate of overseeing the adoption and monitoring of SDGs at the national and sub-national level.
  • The Guwahati conclave is part of NITI Aayog”s continuous efforts towards fostering partnerships at the sub-national level. In terms of SDG localisation, the states in the region have taken major strides in integrating the “Agenda 2030”.
India to launch Geo Imaging Satellite
  • India will launch its Geo Imaging Satellite (GISAT-1) with its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV- F10).
  • According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), its GSLV-F10 rocket carrying the GISAT-1 is expected to lift off on March 5.
  • The launch is subject to the weather conditions.
  • Weighing about 2,275 kg, GISAT-1 is a state-of-the-art agile Earth observation satellite which will be placed in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) by GSLV-F10.
  • A four metre diameter Ogive shaped payload fairing (heat shield) is being flown for the first time in this GSLV flight. This is the fourteenth flight of the GSLV.
  • Operating from geostationary orbit, GISAT-1 will facilitate near real time observation of the Indian sub-continent, under cloud free condition, at frequent intervals.
3 Bilateral pacts inked during Trump visit to India
  • India, US have concluded three bilateral agreements in the health and energy sectors during Trump visit to India.
  • Two of the agreements finalised during the US President’s visit include a memorandum of understanding on mental health, and one that deals with the safety of medical products.
  • The MoU on safety of medical products was signed between the USFDA and India”s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.
  • The MoU on mental health is between India”s Department of Health and Family Welfare and the Department of Health and Human Services of the US.
  • A Letter of Cooperation was also signed by Indian Oil Corporation and ExxonMobil India LNG Limited, with Chart Industries of the US.
Joint Ministerial Commission between India and Australia
  • The 16th Session of the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) between India and Australia was convened in New Delhi.
  • The Session was co-chaired by Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Government of India and Senator Simon Birmingham, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Government of Australia.
  • India and Australia agree to enhancing bilateral trade and investment through revival of the bilateral CECA negotiations, and harmonise standards and regulations on important products.
  • Work on market access issues in both directions to increase trade.
  • Work on mutual recognition of educational qualifications of the two countries .
  • Continue collaboration to encourage increased direct flights between Australia and India.
  • The two sides acknowledged the considerable growth in the India-Australia economic relationship in strategic, trade and people-to-people links since the last Joint Ministerial Commission in June 2018.
  • Both sides welcomed efforts to elevate the bilateral economic relationship. They agreed to consider reviving the negotiations on the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).
  • Both sides noted the visits by three delegations of Australian superannuation funds over the previous year. They agreed to continue to work together to foster awareness of the opportunities in India among Australian investors.
  • Both sides reflected on the important role the private sector played in building the bilateral economic relationship.
  • India raised the issue of taxing of off-shore income of Indian firms through the use of India-Australia Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) and sought early resolution of the issue.

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

PepsiCo to invest Rs 400 crore in Assam to set up manufacturing plant
  • Assam’s Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said PepsiCo India has proposed to invest Rs 400 crore in the state to set up a greenfield project for manufacturing snacking products.
  • A delegation from PepsiCo India comprising Viraj Chouhan, Chief of Government Affairs and Communications Officer for India, Rahul Sharma, Public Policy and Government Affairs Officer, and Nitin Jindal, Associate Director- Business Planning, met Patowary in Guwahati to discuss the proposal.
  • The team informed the minister that PepsiCo India has submitted a proposal to set up a greenfield project for manufacturing Lays and Kurkure in Assam worth Rs 400 crore.
  • The company would engage in contract farming, whereby it would provide seeds to farmers and buy back the matured potatoes from them. The company would also provide handholding support to the farmers.
  • Minister assured the team of the State Government’s support and said that the Industries and Commerce Department would take up an initiative with the State’s Agriculture Department so that PepsiCo can directly train farmers.
  • Minister Patowary also requested Feiner to open a German business chapter in Guwahati which would exclusively work with the state’s Industries and Commerce Department to take forward and expand the initiatives at the next level.
Guwahati  resident Kapil Jain awarded with Digital Marketer of the Year Award
  • Kapil Jain, a resident of Guwahati and founder CEO of Graphitto Labs, a new-age Mumbai-based communication company, has been honoured with the ‘Digital Marketer of the Year Award’ at the World Digital Marketing Congress held in Mumbai .
  • The award has been instituted in association with CMO Asia & The World Federation of Digital Marketing Professionals as Knowledge Partner.
  • Dr RL Bhatia, global chairman and patron of the World Marketing Congress, presented the award to Jain at the awards function attended by over 350 industry leaders from various nationalities.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved setting up National Technical Textiles Mission
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved setting up of a National Technical Textiles Mission with an outlay of Rs 1,480 crore for four year implementation period in line with the announcement made in Budget 2020 presented earlier this month.
  • Textile Minister Smriti Irani said the idea behind the mission is to integrate technology and manufacturing.
  • The Mission will aim at increasing the size of the domestic market to $40 billion which would require an average growth of at least 10 per cent per annum.
  • The Mission will also promote technical education at higher engineering and technology levels related to technical textiles and its application areas covering engineering, medical, agriculture, aquaculture and dairy segments. Skill development will be promoted and adequate pool of highly skilled manpower resources will be created for meeting the need of relatively sophisticated technical textiles manufacturing units.
  • Another component of the mission aims at export promotion of technical textiles enhancing from the current annual value of approximately Rs 14,000 Crore to Rs 20,000 crore by 2021-22 and ensuring 10 per cent average growth in exports per year upto 2023-24.
  • An Export Promotion Council for Technical Textiles will be set up for effective coordination and promotion activities in the segment.
Early Warning Dissemination System for natural disaster alerts launched for coastal Andhra Pradesh
  • An Early Warning Dissemination System (EWDS) to send alerts about natural disasters to coastal Andhra Pradesh was launched
  • Home Minister Mekathoti Sucharitha inaugurated the system in the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
  • The EWDS has been enabled in 76 ”mandals” or blocks, 16 fish landing centres and eight tourism destinations in all nine coastal districts of the state.
  • Andhra Pradesh is the second state in the country to be equipped with an advanced mechanism of the early warning system.
  • During natural calamities like floods, cyclones and lightning strikes, the early warning system will help in shifting people to safer places and minimizing loss of human lives.

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FEBRUARY 28, 2020

Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award for Jadav Payeng
  • Environmental activist and forestry worker from Assam Jadav Payeng, who is known as the Forest Man of India, will be conferred the prestigious Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award instituted by My Home India for his consistent efforts in creating a real man-made forest through massive reforestation.
  • The award would be given to him at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi by Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, in the presence of General VK Singh, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, and Sunil Deodhar, national secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party.
  • wami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award is an annual award function organised by My Home India, a voluntary national organisation having its reach across the country.
  • Every year, this award is bestowed to an individual from North East India, who dedicates his/her life to promote and preserve the art, culture, sports, environment, education, industry, science and technology, etc.
  • The award is composed of a trophy, a recitation and a reward of Rs 1 lakh.
Indian Coast Guard’s 6th off-shore patrol vessel launched
  • The sixth OPV of Coast Guard was launched by Geeta Mandaviya, the Minister”s wife at the L&T Shipbuilding, Kattupalli.
  • The asset needs of Indian Coast Guard are on a rapid expansion path requiring ships and aircraft to strengthen the maritime security mechanism in the prevailing security scenario, Union Minister of State for Shipping, Chemicals and Fertiliser Mansukh Mandaviya said.
  • The 6th OPV launched is likely to be inducted into the Indian Coast Guard in October 2020 after completion of extensive trials and testing for the equipment and machinery fitted onboard.
  • The OPV with a gross tonnage of 2,100 ton has a length of 98 metres and a breadth of 15 metres.
  • The endurance of the vessel is 5,000 nautical miles and powered by two diesel engines, it can touch a maximum speed of 26 knots.
  • The ship will be fitted with one CRN -91 and two 12.7 mm guns and will be capable of carrying an Integral Twin Engine Helicopter which will enhance its operational, surveillance and search and rescue capability.
  • The OPV will be used for day and night patrol/surveillance, anti-terrorist/smuggling operations in the Exclusive Economic Zone and also for coastal security.
  • It will have two navigation radars with ultra-modern technology, sophisticated navigational and latest communication systems.
MP government, Tatas sign MoU for healthcare
  • The Madhya Pradesh government signed an MoU with Dorabji Tata Trust to provide better healthcare services in the state.
  • Primary health services will be improved through Arogyam Health and Wellness Centres in the state under the MoU.
  • Chief Secretary S.R. Mohanty, on behalf of the state government, and former state chief secretary and Vice President of the Dorabji Tata Trust, Vijay Singh signed the MoU.
  • A committee comprising representatives of National Health Mission and Tata Trust will be formed to monitor the implementation of the project.
  • The Health Department and Tata Trust will initially work in five centres each in 23 high priority districts.
  • Thus, the 115 identified health and wellness centres will provide technical and managerial support to the programme.
  • In the fourth year, Tata Trust will expand the programme to 500 health and wellness centres.
  • Each of these districts will have an electronic record saved in an urban primary health centre.
  • Tata Trust will also provide healthcare support by creating data for referrals and follow up about cases of pregnancy, hypertension, diabetes and cancer.
HAL offers new multirole chopper to Indian military
    • State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) offered an indigenous multirole helicopter to the Indian military for replacing its medium lift choppers such as MI-17s, Kamovs and Seakings.
    • The city-based defence behemoth displayed a mockup of the multirole helicopter to Rajnath Singh at its helicopter production facility in the city’s eastern suburb.
    • The aerospace major has submitted to the Defence Ministry a project report for sanctioning funds by the Cabinet committee on security to develop the new helicopter
    • The HAL Chairman also told the Defence Minister that it was waiting for the ministry’s order to roll out its Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) for the IAF and the Army.
    • The public sector enterprise has submitted a techno commercial proposal to the ministry for rolling out 15 combat choppers under the limited series production.
    • The indigenous 5.5-tonne LCH is powered by two Shakti engines and has many features of the company”s Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).
    • LCH is the first attack helicopter to land in forward bases at Siachen, 4,700m above sea level, with 500kg load.

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FEBRUARY 29, 2020

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal presented with Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee award
  • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was presented the prestigious Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee award 2020 for Politics at the 6th India Ideas Conclave in Gujarat.
  • The award, instituted by India Foundation, was presented to Chief Minister Sonowal by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Speaker of People’s Majlis of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, which carries a citation, a specially designed trophy and a cheque worth Rs. one lakh.
  • While receiving the award Sonowal said that the award is an inspiration to work for national integration and to take Dr. SP Mukherjee’s vision and philosophy forward. He also dedicated the award to the people of Assam, who have been the source of inspiration and guidance during his public life.
India, Myanmar stress on boosting connectivity
  • India and Myanmar emphasised the centrality of connectivity between the two countries and reaffirmed their commitments to expedite the completion of the various India-funded projects presently under way in Myanmar, with the neighbouring country’s continued support towards their execution.
  • From April 7 the people of the Northeast will be able to travel all the way to Mandalay in Myanmar by bus when a coordinated bus service will be launched from Imphal.
  • India also welcomed the decision by Myanmar to extend tourist visa on arrival for Indian citizens in the neighbouring country till December 2020.
  • A 29-point joint statement signed between the two countries on the occasion of the visit by Myanmar President U Win Myint covers a whole gamut of issues ranging from connectivity to use of digital payment to facilitation of trade and commerce.
  • At least 10 memoranda of understanding were exchanged during the visit.
  • The both sides noted the need to further facilitate easy movement of passenger and cargo traffic by streamlining procedures and expeditiously developing infrastructure.
  • They also agreed to commence establishment of border haats with a priority to carry out a pilot project, which was previously agreed by the both countries in accordance with the MoU signed in 2012.
  • The two sides look forward to setting up of border haats after finalising the mutually agreed mode of operation.
  • The two countries also took note of the positive developments related to Sittwe port and the Kaladan transit transport project.
  • They hailed the appointment of a port operator to operate and maintain the Sittwe port and Paletwa inland water transport terminal and associated facilities from February 1.
  • Both the countries also reaffirmed their commitment to early completion of the Paletwa-Zorinpui road – the final leg of the Kaladan transit transport project.
  • India also expressed its support for the bilateral pacts signed between Myanmar and Bangladesh for the repatriation of the displaced persons from Rakhine state and hoped that Myanmar and Bangladesh would continue to work together for voluntary, sustainable and speedy repatriation of displaced people currently in the Cox’s Bazar area of Bangladesh to Myanmar in accordance with their bilateral agreements.
  • Both sides agreed to work together to enable the launch of India’s RuPay card in Myanmar at the earliest, noting that the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) needs to adhere to Myanmar laws and regulations, and that the launch of RuPay card would stimulate the economy of Myanmar and facilitate tourism and business from India.
PM Modi to launch 10,000 farmer producer organisations (FPO) across India
  • On the occasion of completion of one year of PM Kisan Scheme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch 10,000 farmer producer organisations (FPO) across the country from Chitrakoot.
  • The Prime Minister has also talked about laying the foundation stone of the Bundelkhand Expressway from Chitrakoot.
  • The Prime Minister will launch a campaign for the distribution of Kisan Credit Card to all the beneficiaries under the PM Kisan Scheme.
  • The number of small and marginal farmers is around 86 per cent, with an average cultivation of less than 1.1 hectare in the country.
  • These small marginal and landless farmers face enormous challenges during agricultural production.
  • The FPO will help in the grouping of small, marginal and landless farmers, so that the collective power of farmers can be increased in dealing with these issues.
  • Members of the FPO will be able to manage their activities under the organisation, so that they can have better access to technology, investment, finance and markets, and their livelihood can grow rapidly.
  • The government had launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM Kisan Scheme as an income support for farmers, to help farmers bear the expenses of agriculture, related activities and household needs.
  • Every eligible beneficiary is given a sum of Rs 6,000 per year under the scheme. This amount is given as two thousand rupees thrice in four months instalments.
  • The payment is sent online directly to the bank accounts of the eligible beneficiaries under the direct benefit transfer system.
14th Meeting of India-France Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism
  • India and France held the 14th Meeting of Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism in New Delhi.
  • An inter-agency Indian delegation was led by Mr. Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary for Counter Terrorism, Ministry of External Affairs, while the French delegation was led by Mr. David Bertolotti, Assistant Secretary of State for Strategic, Security and Disarmament Affairs of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
  • Both sides condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stressed the need for strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in a comprehensive and sustained manner.
  • They exchanged views on current counter-terrorism challenges including countering radicalization, combating financing of terrorism, preventing use of internet for terrorist purposes, threats posed by internationally designated terrorist entities as well as cross-border terrorism in South Asian region.
  • Both sides stressed upon the need to deny safe havens and sources of financing to terrorists.
  • Both sides agreed to further strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation, as a cornerstone of the strategic partnership between India and France, interalia, through regular exchange of information, joint capacity building efforts, mutual legal assistance, sharing best practices for countering terrorism and radicalisation and cooperating in multilateral fora such as Untied Nations and FATF.

 

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Assam Current Affairs – February 15 – 21, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – February 15 - 21, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of February 15 – 21, 2020 )

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FEBRUARY 15, 2020

Rail projects in Northeast to be completed by 2023
  • Railway projects of “national importance” in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast that have been pending for over a decade will be completed by 2023, Railway Board Chairman VK Yadav.
  • Yadav said the priority of the railways in the next five years is to complete its 50 remaining super critical projects, augmenting capacity in order to introduce 1,500 new trains and wrap up its projects of national importance.
  • A project of national importance, the 51.38-km Bhairabi-Sairang project in Mizoram, was sanctioned in 2008-2009, but is yet to be completed. The new deadline for the project is 2023 and a cost of Rs 5,021 crore has been proposed for it.
  • The Railway Budget 2020-21 has proposed an outlay of Rs 400 crore for the new broad gauge railway line for the year.
  • The railways has also set a deadline of March 2023 for the BG line connectivity from Dimapur (Dhansiri) to Zubza (Kohima) (82.50 km) in Nagaland, which was sanctioned in 2006-07. The Railway Budget 2020-21 has earmarked Rs 300 crore for this project. The total cost of the project is Rs 4,600 crore.
  • In Sikkim, the Sivok-Rangpo new BG line (44.39 km) which was sanctioned in 2008-2009 but suffered due to delay in handing over of encumbrance free forest land by the West Bengal government is now scheduled to be completed by 2023. This project has been allocated Rs 607 crore in the 2020-21 Union Budget.
  • Another long-pending project in Manipur connects Jiribam to Imphal (110.62 km), which was sanctioned in 2003-2004. It now has a deadline of 2022. The project has been given a layout of Rs 800 crore in the 2020-21 Railway Budget while its total cost is estimated to be around Rs 12,524 crore.
  • Seven of the 58 super critical projects that are under way in congested routes have been completed in 2019, while one has been wrapped up in 2018. He said that the remaining 50 will be completed by March 2022.
  • The completion of these projects would bring in opportunities for greater economic growth for the regions and increase their geopolitical importance.
ICRISAT launches new facility to accelerate plant life-cycle
  • The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) launched new facility, which is projected to significantly lower time and cost of crop varietal development.
  • Called RapidGen, this facility has in it the technology that can make plants zoom through their lifecycle to quickly reproduce and bear seeds.
  • Where it normally takes about a decade to develop new varieties, RapidGen can help cut that down by about 40 per cent.
  • The state-of-the-art facility, a first for any public sector agricultural research institution, will accelerate plant lifecycle in light, temperature and humidity-controlled conditions.
  • Presently, breeding a new crop variety takes about a decade or more, with six or seven years spent in seasonal generational advancements to arrive at the elite lines that go for testing and release as varieties.
  • RapidGen will shorten the six-seven year window significantly.
  • ICRISAT is collaborating with several agricultural research institutes under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), State Agriculture Universities and industry partners to mainstream rapid cycling of the crops for which protocols have already been standardised.

FACTFILE – International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)

  • The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is an international organization which conducts agricultural research for rural development, headquartered in Patancheru (Hyderabad, Telangana, India) with several regional centers (Bamako (Mali), Nairobi (Kenya)) and research stations (Niamey (Niger), Kano (Nigeria), Lilongwe (Malawi), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Bulawayo (Zimbabwe)).
  • It was founded in 1972 by a consortium of organisations convened by the Ford and the Rockefeller foundations. Its charter was signed by the FAO and the UNDP.
  • Since its inception, host country India has granted a special status to ICRISAT as a UN Organization operating in the Indian territory making it eligible for special immunities and tax privileges.
  • ICRISAT is managed by a full-time Director General functioning under the overall guidance of an international Governing Board.
  • The current Director General is Dr. Peter Carberry who took the post in 2018.
  • The current chair of the Board is Dr Paco Sereme.
Tamil Nadu to install CCTV in buses with funds from Nirbhaya Fund
  • The Tamil Nadu government has decided to install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in all the buses to enhance women safety.
  • Presenting the 2020-21 budget for the state in the Assembly Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam said in order to enhance the safety of women in buses, CCTV cameras are to be fitted in all buses at an estimated cost of Rs 75.02 crore allotted under the Nirbhaya Fund.
  • Action will be taken to introduce electronic ticketing in all transport buses to enable cashless transactions.
  • In the Budget Estimates for 2020-21, Rs 2,716.26 crore has been allotted for the Transport Department.

FACTFILE – Nirbhaya Fund

  • Nirbhaya Fund is an Indian rupee 10 billion corpus announced by Government of India in its 2013 Union Budget.
  • According to the then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, this fund is expected to support initiatives by the government and NGOs working towards protecting the dignity and ensuring safety of women in India. Nirbhaya (fearless) was the pseudonym given to the 2012 Delhi gang rape victim to hide her actual identity.
  • The Ministry of Women and Child Development, along with several other concerned ministries, will work out details of the structure, scope and the application of this fund.
OIL organises month-long fuel-conservation awareness drive
  • As per the directive of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) in association with Oil India Ltd and other petroleum companies is observing SAKSHAM-2020.
  • This is a month-long mass awareness drive with an objective of involving the citizens to actively participate in fuel conservation for health and environmental protection and simultaneously help in reducing India’s dependency on import of crude oil.
  • This year the theme for SAKSHAM-2020 is ‘Indhan Adhik Na Khapayein, Aao Paryavaran Bachayein’.
  • During the observance of SAKSHAM-2020, various programmes such as cycle rally, walkathon, and emission checking of vehicles and equipment, etc., were organised in and around Duliajan.
  • A ‘Free Emission Testing of Vehicles’ was organised at Bihutoli, Duliajan. Around 250 commercial and private vehicles were checked during the campaign.
FEBRUARY 16, 2020
India set to host UN’s first Biodiversity Summit
  • India is set to host the UN biodiversity summit that will bring together more than 1,200 delegates from over 110 countries to deliberate on the alarming decline of migratory species in Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
  • The agenda of the talks include new proposals to mitigate effects of infrastructure on migratory mammals and joining the Gobi bear, the only bear living in the desert, the Persian leopard and the urial, a wild sheep, in the Central Asian mammal species for their protection.
  • Besides, Indian species like the Asian elephant, the great Indian bustard and the Ganges river dolphin are likely to get more priority in biodiversity conservation.
  • Delegates at the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS COP13) will consider the need for guidance and implementation tools to mitigate the impacts of linear infrastructure on migratory species.
  • CMS is the only United Nations treaty that addresses migratory species and their habitats.
  • CMS Guidelines have advised countries on how to avert linear infrastructure threats to large mammals in Central Asia through the Convention’s Central Asian Mammals Initiative.
  • In the future, guidance and implementation tools will be developed for other regions and CMS-listed species not included in the initiative.
  • Parties will also discuss the adoption of dedicated concerted actions for 12 different species, including the giraffe, the Ganges river dolphin, the common guitarfish and the antipodean Albatross.
Assam NGO launches library initiative for deprived kids
  • Gyan Vardhini, a social organisation of Assam, launched a library initiative with the title “Project Educate All – Leave None Behind” .
  • Under the initiative, the organisation has set up its first library at an orphanage, Ananda Ashram, here which aims to make reading books and story books accessible to deprived children and those residing in slums, orphanages and communities in remote locations.
  • Volunteers of the organisation will conduct reading classes for children under the initiative. It also aims to set up 10 libraries across Guwahati within this year.
Portuguese President arrives in India for two-day visit
  • A visiting Portuguese delegation led by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa signed a series of MoUs with state and central government agencies at a formal ceremony in the fields of defence, industry, water and sewage management, education, knowledge sharing, science and technology, heritage, shipping and technology.
  • The signing of agreements followed a series of negotiations between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa which began during a visit by the latter to India in 2017.
  • Among the agreements signed are an MoU between Goa-based Defence Ministry shipyard Goa Shipyard Limited and Portugal”s Estaleiros Navais De Peniche in the field of design, construction and supply of ships in Africa and Latin American countries.
  • Five MoUs and letters of intent between the Portuguese Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC-TEC) and India”s IIT-Goa, National Institute of Oceanography, National Centre for Polar and Oceanic Research.
  • The Energy and Resources Institute and the Goa Shipyard Ltd were also signed under the cooperation for excellence in marine exploration and navigation technologies initiative.
  • The initiative is aimed at generating innovative projects in the field of technological co-operation for marine engineering, shipbuilding technology, blue economy, ocean resources and technology.
  • An MoU for co-operation between IIT-Madras and INESC-TEC in the area of ports and waterways management was also signed.
  • Other MoUs which were signed include a co-operation agreement between the Goa-based VM Salgaoncar Institute of International Hospitality Education and Turismo de Portugal and between the Govind Ramnath Kare College and Portugal”s University of Coimbra to establish academic, scientific and cultural cooperation in the field of law.
  • A strategic tripartite agreement for research and exchange between three institutions, Portugal”s INESC-TEC, Faculty of Engineering of the University Porto and IIT-Madras focussing on marine exploration and energy technologies .

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FEBRUARY 17, 2020
NRL research centre at IIT Guwahati to develop bioplastics
  • NRL has provided an initial research grant of Rs 4 crore to its Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Materials set up at IIT Guwahati.
  • The centre was inaugurated by Union HRD Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal in the presence of Prof TG Sitharam, Director of IIT Guwahati and SK Barua, Managing Director, NRL.
  • The centre is a first of its kind academic-industrial collaborative venture with the broad objective of developing sustainable materials from various waste and by-products sourced from multiple sectors like petroleum industries, bio-refineries and agro-industries.
  • It will serve as an umbrella for many such upcoming collaborative research projects on the development of sustainable materials like bioplastics and other value-added chemicals under one platform to serve the industries like NRL in combating environmental pollution.
  • The first project of the centre is ‘Development of biodegradable plastics from refinery and bio-refinery streams’ and officials associated with it say it is in an advanced stage with prototypes which could be commercially viable having been already developed.
Lui-Ngai-Ni festival celebrated at Ukhrul
  • Lui-Ngai-Ni, a seed-sowing festival of the Nagas of Manipur, was celebrated under the theme, ‘oneness through culture’, at Ukhrul.
  • The two-day festival was organised by the State-level organising committee under the aegis of the United Naga Council and hosted by Tangkhul Naga Long, the apex body of the Tangkhul community.
  • Lui-Ngai-Ni is one of the biggest festivals of the Naga community. It is a cultural festival marked by a plethora of cultural events.
  • The main highlights of the Lui-Ngai-Ni celebrations were lighting of the sacred fire, consecration of the seeds to be sown for the season, beating of the traditional log drum, traditional dances and songs.
  • The festival heralds the season of seed sowing and marks the start of the year for the Nagas and the festival was declared a state holiday since 1988
India-Bangladesh’s 14-day joint exercise ‘Sampriti-IX’ concludes
  • The two-week India-Bangladesh military training exercise Sampriti-IX that focused on counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism and disaster management concluded at Umroi, Meghalaya.
  • The joint military exercise was aimed at strengthening the military relations between the two countries and it allowed the two armies to understand each other’s tactical drills and operating techniques.
  • In all 150 troops from each side took part in the ninth edition of Sampriti.
  • The head of observer delegations from both sides conveyed their appreciation for the participating contingents for achieving the objectives of exercise.
  • The Sampriti series is an important military and diplomatic initiative between the two nations and strengthening the edifice of trust and friendship, which has been nurtured with the sweat and toil of officers and soldiers of contingents participating in each edition.
  • Besides training, both contingents also participated in a number of activities, including sports events and played volleyball and basketball games.
  • A magnificent parade and the customary exchange of mementos marked the completion of the joint exercise.
Norway sees India as important player against climate change
  • Norway said that it saw India as an important player against climate change and that both countries could play leading role in tackling the global issues of environment and climate change.
  • Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar and Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Sveinung Rotevatn met at the Mahatma Mandir to discuss bilateral and global issues on climate and environment.
  • A Conference Of Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species will be held at the venue.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the event via videoconferencing. It is for the first time that the triennial event would be held in the country.
  • Both countries stressed the need to strengthen bilateral cooperation on environment and climate change, particularly marine pollution.
  • The Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that India had initiated an ocean dialogue with Norway to address marine plastic litter.
  • Both the countries have formed joint working groups on blue economy with sustainable development.
  • Both the countries agreed on the importance of delivering concrete, scalable solutions for ocean health and wealth at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon in June 2020.

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

46th Karbi Youth Festival started in Karbi Anglong district
  • The 46th Karbi Youth Festival (KYF) organised by the Karbi Cultural Society (KCS) got off at Taralangso village, just seven kilometres from Diphu with Rong Ketong, a traditional procession at Karbi People’s Hall.
  • Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council’s Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang officially inaugurated the festival. Addressing a gathering of participants and artistes at the festival ground, Ronghang called for unity among Karbi groups.
  • The inaugural programme was attended by Hill Areas Development minister Sum Ronghang, Karbi traditional king Ramsing Ronghang and Dumra Karbi traditional king Holi Sing Ronghang, former Asam Sahitya Sabha president Rongbong Terang and other dignitaries.
  • Around 5,000 delegates from 29 KCZ zones from Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Biswanath Chariali, Kamrup have joined the festival. Cultural troupes in their traditional dresses took part in the procession ‘Rong Ketong’ led by drums under the standard of Karbi totem pole Jambili.
  • Thousands of Karbi youths from several parts of the North East are taking part in a series of traditional games and sports, including sling, stilt race, hambi kapathu- ghela khel, folk dances and songs like romance ballads, cradle songs and mourning songs. The festival will conclude on February 19. That day has been kept aside for concerts and prize distribution ceremonies.
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the 13th CMS COP13
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP13) with the presence of over 2,500 delegates from 111 countries in Gandhinagar.
  • Modi opened it through video conference, the first time the head of government hosting the CMS conference has opened a CMS COP, marking the importance of migratory species in India.
  • The conference kicks off ”the super year” for nature, which will include a UN Summit in September and culminate in the UN Biodiversity Conference at the end of 2020.
  • The concept of ”ecological connectivity” is the top CMS priority for the Post-2020 Framework, which calls for the protection and restoration of important geographical areas that together support migratory species during the different phases of their natural lifecycles, such as breeding and feeding.
  • CMS COP13 will add new species for protection under CMS and also address emerging issues and threats.
PM Modi unveils tallest Deendayal Upadhyaya statue in Varanasi
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the 63-ft tall statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya while inaugurating the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Memorial Centre in Padao on the Varanasi-Chandauli border.
  • The ”pancha loha” statue is the tallest statue of the BJP ideologue in the country. Over 200 artisans have worked for almost a year in order to complete the structure.
  • The Memorial Centre, spread over nine acres, will also have the engravings of the life and times of Deendayal Upadhyaya.
  • About 30 Odisha craftsmen and artists have worked on the project during the last year.
  • The Prime Minister also launched projects worth Rs 1,200 crore for his constituency.
  • The projects include a 430-bed superspecialty government hospital, and a 74-bed psychiatry hospital at Banaras Hindu University.
Indian Navy chief in Myanmar to bolster maritime relationship
  • To strengthen relation between India and Myanmar, Indian Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh is on four-day trip to Naypyitaw and other parts of the neighbouring country to bolster the bilateral maritime relationship.
  • The visit is intended to consolidate and enhance the bilateral maritime relations between India and Myanmar.
  • During his visit, Admiral Karambir Singh will hold bilateral discussions with Admiral Tin Aung San, Commander-in-Chief Myanmar Navy and also call on Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief Defence Services, and other senior government officials.
  • He will also interact with the trainees of the National Defence College in Naypyitaw, and will visit the Naval Dockyard and Training Command of the Myanmar Navy in Yangon.
  • Myanmar Navy is a member of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium and participates in the activities conducted under the symposium.
  • Both the Navies also interact during maritime activities such as Admiral”s Cup, Goa Maritime Conclave and Exercise Milan.

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FEBRUARY 19, 2020

Titabor becomes Assam’s first zero waste town
  • Setting high standards in effective integrated waste management, Titabor has become Assam’s first ‘zero waste town’. No other town in Assam has been able to revolutionise municipal solid waste management the way Titabor has done.
  • As per the general standard, if any town succeeds in processing up to 80 per cent of waste, it can claim to be a zero waste town. Titabor, as part its consistent campaign, has set up a material recovery facility where all organic waste is managed through aerobic composting.
  • This move of door-to-door collection, some primary and some tertiary segregation, has resulted in reduction in foul odour and greenhouse gas emission from the dumpsite.
  • Not just that, Titabor is also credited to have started Assam’s first bio-mining project to completely recover the dumpsite and move toward 100 per cent processing of waste, which is an exceptional case in Assam.
First India- Bangladesh tourism festival in Agartala
  • The first ever two-day India-Bangladesh tourism festival would be held in Agartala, ministers, members of Parliament, top officials, experts, artists, singers, performers, tour operators of Bangladesh and Indian states of West Bengal and various northeastern states would participate in the festival, planned to boost tourism in the region.
  • Seminars, discussions, cultural functions, visit to the important tourism spots, historical and archaeological sites are part of the two day India-Bangladesh tourism festivals.
  • Freedom fighters, leading politicians, writers and poets would also participate in the mega event
EESL, BSNL to erect EV charging stations across India
  • The state-run Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for installation of public charging stations to boost e-mobility adoption across India.
  • Under the partnership, the EESL will set up public charging stations in 1,000 BSNL sites in a phased manner on a pan India basis.
  • EESL will make the entire upfront investment on the services pertaining to the MoU, along with the operation and maintenance of the charging infrastructure by using qualified personnel.
  • BSNL would be responsible for providing the requisite space and power connections for installing the charging infrastructure.
  • At present, EESL has commissioned 300 AC and 170 DC chargers across India.
NTPC, RSDCL to develop solar park in Jaisalmer
  • Public sector major NTPC and Rajasthan Solarpark Development Company Ltd (RSDCL), a subsidiary of Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Ltd (RRECL), signed an ‘Implementation Support’ agreement to develop a 925 megawatt (MW) capacity Nokh Solar Park at Nokh in Jaisalmer.
  • As per the agreement, the RSDCL will develop infrastructure in the solar park and NTPC will develop the solar projects. The agreement is likely to bring investment of more than Rs 4,000 crore in the state.
  • The RSDCL will invest about Rs 450 crore in infrastructural development in the project and NTPC is expected to invest more than Rs 3,500 crores in solar projects development. 

FEBRUARY 20, 2020

65th Filmfare Awards organised at Guwahati, Winners List

Winners of the 65th Amazon Filmfare Awards were announced at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati, Assam on 15th February 2020.

Award Winners

BEST FILM – GULLY BOY

CRITICS BEST FILM – ARTICLE 15 (ANUBHAV SINHA)

CRITICS BEST FILM – SONCHIRIYA (ABHISHEK CHAUBEY)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE (MALE) – RANVEER SINGH

CRITICS BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE (MALE) – AYUSHMANN KHURRANA

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE (FEMALE) – ALIA BHATT

CRITICS BEST ACTOR IN LEADING ROLE (FEMALE) – BHUMI PEDNEKAR

CRITICS BEST ACTOR IN LEADING ROLE (FEMALE) – TAAPSEE PANNU

BEST DIRECTOR – ZOYA AKHTAR

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (MALE) – SIDDHANT CHATURVEDI

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE (FEMALE) – AMRUTA SUBHASH

India, Myanmar sign MoU for bus service
  • A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between two agencies in the presence of authorities of both India and Myanmar for commencement of a bus service between the two countries.
  • The MoU was signed between Shwe Mandalar Express Company Limited, Yangoon and Seven Sisters Holiday, Imphal on February 14 for commencement of the bus service from April this year.
  • The process of selection of the operator for the sector through bidding is likely to be finalised by March.
  • Under the Act East Policy, an integrated check post was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 4, 2019 in Moreh town, which is now fully operational.
  • Both India and Myanmar have agreed to open nine border haats to facilitate free exchange of locally available commodities and services.
  • Two border haats in Manipur will be set up at Khin Man Behiang (Churachandpur district) and Khampat New Saomtal (Chandel district).
  • In addition, two border haats are also proposed to be opened at New Tusom, Ukhrul district, and Hume Thana/Konkanthana at Kamjong district.
Union Cabinet approved setting up of the 22nd Law Commission
  • Union Cabinet approved the setting up of the 22nd Law Commission for a period of three years.
  • The Law Commission will consist of a full-time Chairperson, four full-time Members (including the Member-Secretary) and the Secretaries, Legal Affairs and the Legislative Departments as ex-officio Members, and not more than five part-time Members.
  • The Law Commission is a non-statutory body constituted by the government from time to time. Originally constituted in 1955, it is re-constituted every three years. The tenure of the 21st Law Commission was up to August 31, 2018.
  • The various Law Commissions have been able to make an important contribution towards the progressive development and codification of law of the country and have so far submitted 277 reports.

FACTFILE – Law Commission of India

  • Law Commission of India is an executive body established by an order of the Government of India.
  • Its major function is to work for legal reform. Its membership primarily comprises legal experts, who are entrusted a mandate by the Government.
  • The Commission is established for a fixed tenure and works as an advisory body to the Ministry of Law and Justice
  • The first Law Commission was established during the British Raj era in 1834 by the Charter Act of 1833. It was presided by Lord Macaulay. After that, three more Commissions were established in pre-independent India.
  • The first Law Commission of independent India was established in 1955 for a three-year term. Since then, twenty one more Commissions have been established.
  • The 21st Law Commission under Justice B.S. Chauhan(retd.) was established in 2015, and had tenure to August 31st 2018.
  • The terms of reference of the Law Commission include the review and repeal of obsolete laws, the examination of existing laws & the revision of central Acts of general importance.
  • Membership: Chairman, 1 Permanent Member, 1 Member Secretary, 2 Part-time Members, 2 ex-officio members.
Indian Navy to get purchase of 24 American Seahawk helicopters
  • The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) cleared the purchase of 24 American helicopters for the Indian Navy. The deal to procure MH-60R Seahawk helicopters is worth Rs $2.6 billion.
  • The 24 helicopters would be a big boost to the Navy. The multi-role helicopters will be equipped with Hellfire missiles and torpedoes, and are meant to help the Indian Navy track submarines in the Indian Ocean, where China is expanding its presence.
  • Currently, P8i aircraft are being used to keep vigil on enemy submarines.
  • The US State Department had approved the sale of the choppers to India last year along with radars, torpedoes and 10 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.

FACTFILE – Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk

  • The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family.
  • The most significant modifications are the folding main rotor and a hinged tail to reduce its footprint aboard ships.
  • Able to deploy aboard any air-capable frigate, destroyer, cruiser, fast combat support ship, amphibious assault ship, or aircraft carrier, the Seahawk can handle anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), naval special warfare (NSW) insertion, search and rescue (SAR), combat search and rescue (CSAR), vertical replenishment (VERTREP), and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC).

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FEBRUARY 21, 2020

IIT Guwahati organises National Seminar on Sub-Regional Cooperation
  • The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G) in association with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Kolkata Chapter, organised a national seminar titled ‘Sub-Regional Cooperation: BIMSTEC and North East India in Perspective’, at IIT-G.
  • The speakers discussed the possible bottlenecks that need to be identified to mitigate the challenges of development through sub-regional cooperation in the NE region.
  • The session on food, technology and livelihoods also discussed techniques of plant tissue culture to improve food production.
  • A book titled India Myanmar borderlands: Ethnicity, Security and Connectivity authored and edited by Dr Pahi Saikia and Dr Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhury, was released at the seminar.
COW nod to India plea on GIB, Asian elephant, Bengal Florican
  • The central government’s proposal for inclusion of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), Asian elephant and Bengal Florican in the appendix I of the 13th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention for Migratory Species of Animals (CMS) was unanimously accepted by the Committee of the Whole (COW).
  • Wildlife species facing extinction threat are included in the appendix I. It leads to push for greater habitat protection, prohibition against poaching and facilitation of their movement in the regions and countries that are part of these species ranges.
  • The GIB, found only in the Indian subcontinent, is considered close to extinction as its population has dropped drastically, are largely concentrated in the Desert National Park in Rajasthan.
  • India had submitted that there was seasonal movement of the GIB between India and Pakistan.
  • Urging the COW to include the Asian elephant in the appendix I, the government said it would help in their greater protection. Found in India, this sub-specie migrates into Bangladesh and Nepal. According to India’s proposal, 93 elephants also move across Indo-Bangla border.
  • India, the home of 60 per cent of the Asian elephant’s global population, has a primary duty and responsibility for ensuring their survival. The number of wild elephants is estimated to be 29,964 in India.
  • In case of Bengal Florican, the government said it was on the verge of extinction and its population is declining mainly due to habitat loss and degradation, and hunting.
Railways partners with University of Birmingham for joint PG plan
  • The Indian Railways announced its partnership with the University of Birmingham for the Joint Master’s programme in Railway Systems Engineering and Integration in academic year 2020-2021 by the National Rail Transportation Institute (NRTI).
  • The programme that has been launched leads to dual M.Sc. that would see NRTI students obtaining two postgraduate degrees from both institutions, after spending a year studying at each institution.
  • It will also provide flexibility for some modules of the programme to be delivered online in the form of a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) and support for undergraduate teaching by University of Birmingham faculty at NRTI.
  • The initiative has been taken under the Centre of Excellence for Next Generation Transportation Systems that had been set up through a Memorandum of Understanding between the NRTI with the University of Birmingham.
Tamil Nadu to set up Protected Special Agriculture Zone
  • Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a Bill declaring the Cauvery delta region, comprising Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, some portions of Cuddalore and Pudukottai districts, as the Protected Special Agriculture Zone (PSAZ).
  • The Bill, introduced by Chief Minister K. Palaniswami, excluded the Trichy, Ariyyalur and Karur districts — also the part of the Cauvery delta region, and existing industrial projects.
  • As per the new law, zinc/copper/aluminium smelter, iron ore processing plants, tannery, hydrocarbon exploration and other industries would not be permitted in the PSAZ.
  • The law excludes infrastructure projects, like building of harbour, laying of roads, pipelines, telecommunications, and water and power supply lines.
  • It also provides for setting up of Tamil Nadu Protected Agricultural Zone Authority, headed by the Chief Minister. The Authority will have 30 members.

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Assam Current Affairs – February 08 – 14, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – February 8 - 14, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of February 8 – 14, 2020 )

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FEBRUARY 08, 2020

Tocklai Tea Research Institute made breakthrough in micro-propagation of Tea plants
  • The Jorhat-based Tocklai Tea Research Institute (TTRI) has achieved a major breakthrough in micro-propagation of tea plants by applying the tissue culture technology. So far, this technology could not be utilised for mass propagation of tea plants. This achievement of the TTRI is hailed as a remarkable one and will have far-reaching benefits for the country’s tea industry in matters of quality.
  • So far, most of the tea tissue culture work was successful in the laboratory only, and that too using the germinating seeds as the starting material, he said.
  • Pranita Hazarika, a young lady scientist of the TTRI, has solved the problems faced so far in transferring the tissue cultured tea plants from ‘flask to field.’ The plants developed by her have completed one year of luxuriant growth and received the first prune on January 20 last.
  • The work demonstrated that the tissue culture technology can in fact be made applicable for commercial micro-propagation of tea plantlets at a reasonable price and much faster pace than the conventional methods. It throws up the possibility of complete transformation of the entire supply chain management of tea planting material in the near future and is thus going to have a far-reaching impact on the tea industry. The tissue culture has the potential to generate a large number of plantlets within a short time from a single cell or tissue or explants, that is plant parts.
  • The conventional tea plant multiplication methods either through germinating seed or vegetative nodal cuttings are unable to meet the mounting demand from tea gardens for good planting material and calls for a rapid low cost alternative technology. Thus, making available climate resilient and superior cultivars as well as innovative technology for adoption by the tea gardens are crucial components for ensuring sustainability of the tea industry.
  • The procedure is quite reproducible and requires less time by concurrently inducing rooting and hardening of micro-shoots. In-vitro regeneration of tea plantlet from shoot explants collected from the field has also been successfully carried out.
  • Efforts at utilising the tissue culture technology were hitherto accosted by several problems. Further, there were reports that the few hardened tea plants developed in laboratories did not grow well in the outdoor field conditions.

FACTFILE – Tocklai Tea Research Institute

  • The Tocklai Tea Research Institute was established in 1911, at a site near the River Tocklai in Jorhat, Assam, India. The initial construction of a laboratory and two bungalows was funded by the tea industry, subsidised by the national government of India, and the Indian states of Assam and Bengal.
  • The beginning of a new era of tea research in India was marked by the establishment of the Scientific Department of Indian Tea Association (ITA) in the year 1900. This was consolidated with the creation of the Tocklai Experimental Station in 1911.
  • The formation of the Tea Research Association (TRA) in 1964 with Tocklai at the centre of all activities further expanded the horizon of tea research to cover the entire Northeast India.
  • Research on all aspects of tea cultivation and processing is carried out at the Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Jorhat, the oldest and the largest research station of its kind in the world.
  • Apart from research on various aspects of tea cultivation and processing, the research on tissue culture of modern tea and its medicinal benefits are also being carried out here.
  • Transfer of technology to its member estates is carried out through its advisory network covering 1,076 tea estates occupying 341,049 hectares (1,317 sq mi) of land spread over The South Bank, North Bank, Upper Assam, Cachar, Tripura, Dooars, Darjeeling and Terai.
  • Tocklai has its regional R & D Centre at Nagrakata, West Bengal.
  • Chairman – PK Bezboruah.
India, Sri Lanka to cooperate on fight against terrorism
  • India and Sri Lanka agreed to furthering cooperation with each other in combating terrorism in South Asia.
  • During a visit of the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to New Delhi.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi said,Terrorism is a major danger in our region. Both countries have fought this problem firmly.
  • Prime Minister Modi also revealed that Sri Lankan police officers have started participating in anti-terrorism courses in India”s training institutes
IIT Madras and AIIMS Mangalagiri partner for tech solutions
  • Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) announced collaboration with AIIMS Mangalagiri on affordable technology solutions.
  • IITM said the partnership between the two institutions will also feature academic and research collaborations.
  • Officials of the two institutions discussed on the areas of collaborations like healthcare robotics, predictive models using artificial intelligence and remote presence point-of-care solutions to improve hospital and community health out-comes.
FEBRUARY 09, 2020
Bangladesh win maiden ICC U-19 World Cup, defeated India in final
  • Bangladesh cricket team clinched its maiden ICC Under-19 World Cup title after beating favourites India cricket by three wickets in the summit clash at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom.
  • Set a revised target of 170 under D/L method, after a brief rain interruption, Bangladesh won the match with 23 balls to spare. Sent in to bat, India’s batting wilted under pressure as a superb Bangladesh bowling attack shot the defending champions out for a paltry 177 in 47.2 overs.
  • Yasashvi Jaiswal (88 off 121 balls) was once again a standout performer but not for once did he look like dominating the Bangladesh bowling unit whose new ball bowlers Shoriful Islam (2/31 in 10 overs) and Tanzim Hasan Shakib (2/28 in 8.2 overs) literally stifled the Indians for runs.
  • The third seamer Avishek Das (3/40 in 9 overs) was the most successful bowler in terms of figures but it was Shoriful’s first spell with channelised aggression that put the Indians on the back-foot from the onset.
  • After a short rain break towards the end, the target was revised to 170 from 46 runs but Bangladesh reached 170 for 7 in 42.1 overs to win the match.
  • Opener Parvez Hossain Emon top-scored for Bangladesh with a 79-ball 47 while captain and wicketkeeper Akbar Ali was not out on 43 from 77 deliveries.
  • For the India U-19 side, Ravi Bishnoi was the most successful bowler with figures of 4/30 while Sushant Mishra had 2/25.
  • India thus missed out on a record fifth title in their seventh final appearance.

FACTFILE – ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup

  • The ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup is an international cricket tournament organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) contested by national under-19 teams.
  • First contested in 1988, as the Youth World Cup, it was not staged again until 1998. Since then, the World Cup has been held as a biennial event, organised by the ICC.
  • he first edition of the tournament had only eight participants, but every subsequent edition has included sixteen teams.
  • India have won the World Cup on a record four occasions, while Australia have won three times, Pakistan twice, and Bangladesh, England, South Africa and the West Indies once each. Two other teams New Zealand and Sri Lanka have made it to tournament finals.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath announces Rs 2,500 stipend for students

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that government would soon introduce an internship scheme under which students of classes 10, 12 and undergraduates would be linked to various technical institutes and given Rs 2,500 per month as stipend.

  • The Chief Minister said that the internship period would be six months or one year after which the government would help in their placement.
  • He said that of the Rs 2,500, the state government would give Rs 1,000 while the Centre would contribute Rs 1,500.
  • The Chief Minister further announced that an ITI and a skill development centre would be opened at every tehsil so that the youth could hone their skills.
Wipro recognized 18 Indian educational under it’s earthian awards
  • Global software major Wipro recognized 18 Indian educational institutions for embedding sustainability in the learning process as part of earthian awards.
  • Wipro earthian is a flagship program that tries to bring together the themes of sustainability and education in meaningful ways.
  • The programme helps stimulate curiosity and interest in young minds in critical areas of sustainability.
  • Some of the winning institutes are Government Senior Secondary School Bojoghari, East Sikkim, Rajkiya Uccha Madhyamik Vidyalay, Sirohi, Rajasthan, St. Joseph”s Educational Institute, Chandor, Goa and BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru among others.
  • In its ninth edition, earthian, a sustainable education program for schools and colleges, received 1,300 project entries out, of which 10 schools and eight colleges emerged winners for the year 2019.
  • As part of the programme, teams of students from the educational institutes demonstrated understanding on biodiversity, water and waste along with other activities such as writing essays on those topics.

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FEBRUARY 10, 2020
Justice T Vaiphei takes over as Chief of Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (MHRC)
  • Retired Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court, Justice T Vaiphei has taken over charge as the chairperson of the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (MHRC).
  • The MHRC was functioning under acting chairperson Peter JP Hanaman after Justice Aftab H Saikia retired last year. As per rules, only Chief Justices of High Courts can be appointed as chairperson of the commission.
  • Justice Vaiphei took charge on February 7 in the presence of Hanaman, member Baffyndalyne Giri and other officials and staff of the Commission. Justice Vaiphei was earlier the chairperson of the Assam Human Rights Commission.

BIOGRAPHY – Justice T Vaiphei

  • Justice Vaiphei graduated in 1976 and passed his LLB in 1979 from the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi.
  • He enrolled in the Bar Council of Assam in 1980 and was appointed as the Additional Advocate General of Mizoram in 1999.
  • He was elevated as Additional Judge of the Gauhati High Court in 2003. Justice Vaiphei was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court on September 21, 2016.
  • After his retirement in 2018, he was appointed as the chairperson of the Assam Human Rights Commission.
92nd Academy Awards – Joaquin Phoenix for ‘Joker’ and list of other winners
  • The 92nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, honored the best films of 2019 and took place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (Oscars) in 24 categories.
  • This event marked the first time in Oscar history that more than three films had received ten or more nominations.
  • The South Korean film Parasite led the ceremony with four awards and became the first film not in the English language to win Best Picture, as well as the first South Korean submission to be nominated for (and win) Best International Feature Film.
  • The war film 1917 won three awards, while Ford v Ferrari, Joker, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood won two awards each. American Factory, Bombshell, Hair Love, Jojo Rabbit, Judy, Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl), Little Women, Marriage Story, The Neighbors’ Window, Rocketman, and Toy Story 4 won one award each.
  • Hollywood star Joaquin Phoenix finally ended his dry run at the Oscars as he picked up the best actor trophy for his performance in and as “Joker” at the 92nd Academy Awards. Phoenix had emerged as an undisputed frontrunner against the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”), “Antonio Banderas (“Pain & Glory”) and Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes”).
  • Phoenix’s career most praised performances include “Signs “, “We Own the Night”, “Two Lovers”, “The Immigrant”, “Her”, “You Were Never Really Here” and “Inherent Vice”.

Winners of the Oscar 2020 Award

Best Picture

Parasite – Kwak Sin-ae and Bong Joon-hodouble-dagger

Best Director

Bong Joon-ho – Parasitedouble-dagger

Best Actor

Joaquin Phoenix – Joker as Arthur Fleck / Jokerdouble-dagger

Best Actress

Renée Zellweger – Judy as Judy Garlanddouble-dagger

Best Supporting Actor

Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Cliff Boothdouble-dagger

Best Supporting Actress

Laura Dern – Marriage Story as Nora Fanshawdouble-dagger

Best International Feature Film

Parasite (South Korea) in Korean – directed by Bong Joon-hodouble-dagger

IIIT-Delhi partners with edu-venture Extramarks to promote research in AI
  • The Indraprastha Institute of Education Technology, Delhi (IIIT-D) signed an MoU with the global education technology company, Extramarks, to promote and encourage research in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
  • Extramarks, in partnership with IIIT-D will set up a research laboratory in the computer science department, which will be dedicated to the task of creating new breakthroughs in the area of ”AI in Education”.
  • This partnership opens the doors of constructive research for our students, who will benefit greatly from the practical experience they will gain from engaging with Extramarks.
  • The benefit will accrue to all students, teachers and schools who adopt such futuristic technologies in classrooms as well as home-learning segment.
Skill development centre for women opened in Jammu
  • Union Minister Rattan Lal Kataria inaugurated a skill development centre at the Kashmiri Pandit Migrant Colony in the Jagti.
  • Opened under the Athroot initiative, a project by Sewa Bharti Jammu, a non-government organisation, for uplift of women Kashmiri migrants residing in different migrant camps in and around Jammu.
  • The initiative is aimed to impart training and create self-help groups to empower women and girls to earn a livelihood and shape a better future.
  • The women are provided vocational training in various skills, like embroidery, stitching, spice grinding, pickle making, soap making, classical music and computer courses.
  • It also has a Bal Sanskar Kendra to impart social and moral education to kids.
  • The project is being run under the supervision of Anjali Radhu, a resident of Jagti.

FEBRUARY 11, 2020

Smart Idea Innovation Award 2020
  • State Minister for Fisheries, Excise, Environment and Forest Parimal Suklabaidya gave away the prizes to winners of the 6th Dinanath Pandey Smart Idea Innovation Award.
  • Ha Tade from Arunachal Pradesh won the Dinanath Pandey Smart Idea Innovation Award 2020 for his innovation SOFT.SPY, a device which helps in recording the minute details of a vehicle’s movement – both two-wheelers and four-wheelers.
  • The award has been instituted by the family of Dinanath Pandey who was a master innovator and tried to change the way of life with his innovations.
  • The ‘Innovation Festival’ which is organised by the Indian Council for Science Museum in collaboration with the National Innovation Foundation (NFI), provides a common platform to people of all the states in the north-eastern region working in different fields like innovators, artists, performers, craftsmen and science-demonstrators among others to showcase their creativity.
  • More than 34 innovators from the north-eastern states and West Bengal participated in the two-day exhibition ‘Innovation Festival’.

 

 16 villages in Hailakandi district solar electrified under Souro Shakti project  
  • Altogether 16 villages which did not have access to conventional electricity have been covered following installation of 349 solar street lights in Hailakandi district under project Souro Shakti.  
  • Remote and interior villages such as Ramnathpur, Gutguti, Baruncherra, Nunai FV, Kukicherra, Kanchiwala, Ahyalapur and Sahebmarra, to name just a few, have been brought under solar street lights. Another eight villages which have been groping in dark since independence have been recently installed with 80 solar street lights.
  • Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) has helped connect off grid interior villages such as Raifalmara, Bhai Bonti, Bangla Basha, Gendacherra, Gutguti and Bandukmara Grant with rooftop solar panels covering about 1,551 individual households.
  • The remotest corners of the district still lack electricity connectivity due to lack of terrain and off grid issues. In a bid to ensure that these remote villages are also mainstreamed, solar as an alternative source of energy was proposed to be tapped into, as it is eco-friendly, renewable and self serving option. ONGC was asked to sponsor the project through its CSR initiative.
  • Renewable energy-based solar power will boost small businesses, create local jobs and build economies. This will improve living standards in villages. That in turn will ensure women’s empowerment, better health and education.
  • Almost all the sub centres and health institutions including the SK Roy Civil Hospital have been covered under Project Souro Shakti and have all been lit by solar lights irrespective of availability of electricity. 255 solar lights have been installed in the health sector alone.
Ayurveda Institute Bill introduced in Lok Sabha
  • The Government introduced the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Bill, 2020 in the Lok Sabha which seeks to confer the status of institution of national importance to a cluster of ayurveda institutions in Gujarat Ayurveda University campus in Jamnagar.
  • The three institutes which would be clubbed are Institute of Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Gulab Kunverba Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya and Institute of Ayurveda Pharmaceutical Sciences.
  • Introducing the Bill, Minister of State for Ayush Shripad Yesso Naik said he would consider the suggestions made by the members of the house regarding the draft law.
Andhra Pradesh ink MoUs with 11 institutes for developing agriculture sector
  • The Andhra Pradesh government signed 11 MoUs with leading organisations from across the country to develop agriculture sector in the state.
  • The state’s Agriculture Department signed the MoUs with the officials of various institutes in the presence of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and his cabinet collages Kurasala Kannababu, Mopidevi Venkataramana and Kodali Venkateswara Rao.
  • Arun Kumar, Special Commissioner, Agriculture, signed the MoUs with the officials of the institutes.
  • As part of these MoUs, farmers will be trained in organic and natural farming techniques. They will also be offered training in various agriculture domains.
  • The institutes with which the state signed the agreements include the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai, the National Institute of Plant Health Management (NIPHM), Hyderabad, the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, the Central Fertiliser Quality and Training Institute (CFQTI), Faridabad, the National Seed Research and Training Institute (NSRTI), Varanasi, the Central Institute of Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad, the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal, the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly, the Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals (IAHVB), Bengaluru, and the ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA), Bhubaneswar.

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FEBRUARY 12, 2020

Assam Govt to make higher education free
  • Launching two scholarship schemes for students, Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the State government is working to make higher education completely free, including taking care of the “hidden costs”.
  • Sarma was speaking at a function organised to launch the Gyan Deepika Scholarship announced in the State Budget 2019-20. Under the scheme, the State government would provide subsidy of Rs 700 per month for 10 months through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) on dues to 13,414 hostel students of government colleges and State universities.
  • The Government of Assam also launched the HPC Scholarship Scheme to provide financial assistance of up to Rs 1 lakh to students whose parents are currently employed in Hindustan Paper Corporation’s units at Panchgram and Jagiroad.
  • The two schemes by Government of Assam are of significant importance in providing financial relief to families with children who aspire to pursue higher education.
  • The government has taken measures which will ensure that higher education too is completely free and there are no hidden costs for students. Parents should not spend a single penny for education of their students, including their pocket money.
  • Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the State government is putting efforts to develop the personality of students who are academically brilliant, socially conscious and professionally successful.
WHO launches global research forum against coronavirus
  • A two-day global research and innovation forum led by the World Health Organization (WHO) was launched to mobilise international action in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
  • Co-hosted by the WHO and the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness and funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
  • The forum gathers roughly 400 participants, both live and online, including leading scientists from virus-related disciplines around the world, representatives of countries with confirmed novel coronavirus cases and those of public health agencies, ethics experts with related expertise, and representatives of major research donors.
  • Chinese representatives from the National Health Commission and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention will brief the forum on China”s research on the outbreak, listen to views of all parties and participate in discussions.
  • The forum is to identify the uncharted waters of the virus, prioritize research options and coordinate global efforts to avoid duplication of research, and speed up vaccine and medicine development.
Sanjay Vatsayan takes over as Eastern fleet commander
  • Rear Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan took command of the eastern fleet deployed across the indo-pacific region to safeguard the nation”s maritime interest. He took charge at Visakhapatnam.
  • The Eastern Fleet comprising of frontline warships of the Indian Navy are deployed across the indo-pacific region to safeguard the nation”s maritime interest.
  • Rear Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan is an alumnus of the prestigious National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Naval War College, Mumbai and the National Defence College, New Delhi.
  • The Admiral, who is a Gunnery and Missile systems specialist, has vast experience at sea and ashore.
  • He has commanded missile vessels Vibhuti and Nashak, the guided-missile corvette Kuthar and has also been the commissioning Commanding Officer of the indigenously constructed state-of-the-art stealth frigate Sahyadri.
  • Rear Admiral Vatsayan has also held vital appointments dealing with personnel policy and naval plans at the integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy).
  • Prior to assuming Command of the Eastern Fleet, he was serving as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans) at New Delhi.
Odisha govt signs MoU with HDFC Bank to boost startups
  • The Odisha government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the HDFC Bank Limited to provide smart banking solutions to Startups in the state.
  • The Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Department signed the MoU with the HDFC Bank in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
  • The bank would provide smart banking solutions to the Startups recognised by the Startup Odisha along with opportunity to pitch their solutions to requisite stakeholders and will work towards providing them an opportunity to showcase their solutions.
  • In addition, the bank will extend incubation and acceleration support to all Startups banking with them.
  • HDFC Bank is having third party alliances to provide discounts for startups across key business support functions like shared work spaces, digital marketing, content writing, tax and legal advisory, financial management, compliance among others.

 

FEBRUARY 13, 2020

Assam Cabinet nod for scholarships, grants to tea community
  • The State Cabinet approved the Swahid Dayal Das Panika Swaniyojan Achoni under which financial assistance of Rs 25,000 would be given to youths of the community to “encourage entrepreneurship.”
  • The one time grant will benefit some 15,000 youths of the tea tribe community.
  • To further “empower” students of the tea tribe community, the Cabinet approved the Simon Sing Horo Special Scholarship scheme of Rs 10,000 each to HSLC and HS passed candidates belonging to the community.
  • The Cabinet also approved provisions for construction of pucca houses for workers of the Assam Tea Corporation Limited gardens at the cost of Rs 1.3 lakh per house.
  • The Cabinet further resolved to increase allotment of agricultural land from 3 bighas to 7 bighas under the Land Policy 2019.
  • The Cabinet approved an amount of Rs 20,000 each to install solar kits in those PMAY houses which do not have electricity connection.
‘120% rise in Budget allocation for NE rly projects a big boost’
  • The General Budget 2020-21 has proposed an increase in the allocation for railway projects in Assam and the Northeast and it will help in upgradation of facilities and expansion of network in the region.
  • Subhanan Chanda, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), said that the Union Budget has proposed an allocation of Rs 4,669 crore for railway projects in Assam and the Northeastern states taken together. This is 120 per cent more than the average annual outlay of Rs 2,122 crore for the same region during 2009-2014.
  • The proposed outlay includes a number of projects for doubling of railway lines in the region, including the newly proposed doubling of the 381 km-long Lumding-Tinsukia-Dibrugarh section at an estimated cost of Rs 3,810 crore.
  • He said that the Budget has also allocated additional funds for other ongoing doubling works including Rs 200 crore for the New Bongaigaon-Rangiya-Kamakhya section (142.97 km), Rs 450 crore for New Bongaigaon-Goalpara-Guwahati (Kamakhya) section (176 km) and Rs 400 crore for the Digaru-Hojai section (102 km).
J&K and Ladakh to host 1st edition of Khelo India Winter Games
  • The Sports Ministry is set to organise the first-ever Khelo India Winter Games in the Union Territory of Ladakh in the third week of February and in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the first week of March.
  • Seven different sporting disciplines have been chosen with an effort to popularise winter games among the youth of the country.
  • The Games will have Open Ice Hockey Championship, Figure Skating and Speed Skating and the competition will be conducted at Block, district and Union Territory levels with an expected participation of about 1,700 athletes.
  • The competitions of the Khelo India J&K Winter Games will be held at Kongdori in Kashmir’s hill resort of Gulmarg in four age categories for both boys and girls. Athletes in the age categories of 19-21 years, 17-18 years, 15-16 years and 13-14 years can compete in Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Snow Boarding and Snow Shoeing.
Odisha government approved Rs 803.65 cr action plan for more green cover
  • The Odisha government approved its annual action plan entailing an expenditure of Rs 803.65 crore under CAMPA for the 2020-21 fiscal to increase the green cover in the coastal state.
  • The action plan was approved by the state-level steering committee on Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy.
  • The government decided to undertake various activities under the action plan, including block plantation, assisted natural regeneration, bald-hill plantation, maintenance of previous year”s plantation, fodder and fruit-bearing plantation, bamboo culture and wildlife management.
  • A target has been set to take up plantation in 1,500 hectares, with 1,600 saplings per hectare during 2020-21 and to grow 5,71,48,000 seedlings during the period.
  • Rs 41.13 crore was approved for maintenance of the fire protection line, operation of 216 fire protection squads and support to the Vana Surakhya Samiti (VSS) for fire protection work.

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FEBRUARY 14, 2020

Strengthening of case for Classical language status to Assamese
  • With new breakthroughs emerging on the antiquity of the Assamese script, and research shows that Assamese script to be far older than previously thought, some sections have called for according it the status of Indian Classical Language.
  • Generally the Indian Classical Language status is given to languages which have a rich heritage and are of independent nature. The status is awarded by the Government of India and so far this honour has been bestowed on six languages of India – Tamil in 2004, Sanskrit in 2005, Telugu in 2008, Kannada in 2008, and Malayalam in 2013, with Odia being the latest addition to the list in 2014.
  • Languages declared as classical get three primary benefits.
    • First, two major international awards for those who contribute significantly to Indian Classical Languages are presented every year.
    • Secondly, the government has to set up a Centre of Excellence for the study of Classical Languages.
    • Thirdly, Central universities can give grants for Professional Chairs for Classical Languages.
  • According to eminent scholar Dr Nagen Saikia, the Assamese language deserves the status of classical language. The Assamese language has a long glorious history dating back to the prehistorical times.
  • According to Ashok Sarma, who is doing extensive research in Kamrupi civilisation, script, and language, the Assamese language has much more antiquity than ever thought.“We can trace the written form to the 4th century BC, i.e., the language found in the Mahasthangarh stone inscription (now in Bangladesh). It should be noted that today’s Bangladesh was within the territory of ancient Kamrup in the manner the ancient Indian civilisation of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro are now in Pakistan. The language of the Mahasthangarh inscription was in Prakrit language and it did not belong to Ashoka’s empire. The language of this inscription cannot be Magadhi Prakrit either because the contemporary language of the Ashokan edicts was not found anywhere after his reign. If the language was to be the language of Magadh, then it could not be extinct,” he said.
  • The criteria evolved by the Government of India to judge the eligibility of a language to be declared as classical language include
    • (a) high antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1,500-2,000 years,
    • (b) a body of ancient literature/text which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers,
    • (c) the literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community, and
    • (d) the classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.
Sri Lanka engages Indian Navy to carry out shore-based survey
  • Enhancing bilateral relationship, Sri Lanka has engaged India to carry out hydrographic and several shore-based survey activities off its south-west coast.
  • The Indian government has assigned the task to the Indian Navy.
  • Indian Navy’s Sandhayak class hydrographic survey ship, INS Jamuna, has been deployed to Sri Lanka based on a mutual agreement to carry out Joint Hydrographic Survey off the South West Coast of Sri Lanka.
  • The ship is commanded by Captain H.A. Hardas.
  • Over the two-month deployment period, the ship will carry out detailed hydrographic surveys and several shore-based survey activities.
  • Sri Lanka Navy personnel will embark the ship during the conduct of the joint survey and additionally the personnel will also be provided ”hands on” survey training during every operational turnaround in port.
  • INS Jamuna also hosted a meeting between Rear Admiral Sisira Jayakody, Chief Hydrographer of Sri Lankan Navy, officers of Sri Lankan hydrographic department and Indian officers of the ship.
20th edition of ”Hunar Haat” begins in Delhi
  • The 20th edition of the ”Hunar Haat” was inaugurated at the India Gate lawns, the 10-day event is based on the theme of “Kaushal Ka Kam”.
  • Master artisans, craftsmen as well as culinary experts from across the country will be participating in the event.
  • The event was inaugurated in the presence of Railways and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Minorities Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
  • Hunar Haats have been organised at various places in the country such as Delhi, Mumbai, Prayagraj, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Punducherry and Indore.
  • In the coming days ”Hunar Haats” will be organised in Gurugram, Bangaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Dehradun, Patna, Bhopal, Nagpur, Raipur, Puducherry, Amritsar, Jammu, Shimla, Goa, Kochi, Guwahati, Bhubneshwar, Ajmer and other places.
  • At the India Gate lawns, more than 250 stalls have been set up where master artisans, craftsmen and culinary experts from across the country are participating.
  • They are here displaying exquisitely handmade indigenous products.

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Assam Current Affairs – February 01 – 07, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – February 1 - 7, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of February 1 – 7, 2020 )

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FEBRUARY 01, 2020

Economic Survey 2019-20 presented in the Parliament
  • The Economic Survey of India is the flagship annual document of the Ministry of Finance, Govt of India. It is prepared under the guidance of the Chief Economic Adviser of India. This document is presented to both Houses of Parliament during the Budget Session. The first Economic Survey of India was presented in 1950-51 as part of the Union Budget. After 1964 it was separated from the Budget and presented each year during the Budget Session before the presentation of the budget. The document is non-binding.
  • The Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey 2019-20 in the Parliament on January 31, 2020. Krishnamurthy V. Subramanian is the Chief Economic Adviser of Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

Highlights of the Economic Survey 2019-20

  • GDP growth pegged at 6-6.5% in fiscal year starting April 1, 2020, up from 5% in the current fiscal.
  • Uptick in growth projected in second half of current fiscal based on 10 factors including higher FDI flows, build up of demand pressure, positive GST revenue growth.
  • Share of formal employment increased from 17.9% in 2011 -12 to 22.8% in 2017-18 reflecting formalisation in Indian economy.
  • To achieve GDP of $5 trillion by 2024-25, India needs to spend about $1.4 trillion over these years on infrastructure.
  • Around 2.6 crore new jobs created in rural, urban areas between 2011-12 and 2017-18 among regular wage/salaried employees.
  • Declining inflation from 3.2% in April 2019 to 2.6% in December 2019, reflecting weakening demand pressure in the economy.
  • GST collections grew by 4.1% for the centre during April-November 2019.
  • Government should deliver expeditiously on reforms to revive growth. The Survey suggests government to systematically examine areas where it needlessly intervenes and undermines markets.
  • Excessive government intervention in markets, especially when the market can do the job of enhancing citizens welfare perfectly well, stifles economic freedom.
  • Economic Survey calls for improving governance in public sector banks, more disclosures to build trust and for measures to make it easier to start new business, register property, pay taxes, enforce contracts.
  • The Survey also calls for easing of crude prices lowers current account deficit; imports contract more sharply than exports in first half of current fiscal.
Government to restructure Ministry of External Affairs
  • The government has decided to restructure the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the MEA will get decentralised by setting up several verticals, specialisation-wise.
  • This will enable separation of consular services and other routine administrative affairs from the diplomacy involved in areas like economics, trade, development, technology, cultural exchange etc.
  • Each vertical is to be headed by a ”political director” at Additional Secretary level.
  • Until now, like all other ministries, the MEA has been a pyramid like structure, with lot of work pressure on Joint Secretaries and the four Secretaries.
  • The restructuring began with handing over all the four development partnership divisions responsible for foreign aid and development projects in South Asia and Africa to Akhilesh Mishra, who was heading the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
  • The council, which is the cultural arm of MEA, will be under Dinesh Patnaik.
  • The economic section will be handled by P. Harish and three divisions of Africa will be under Nagma Mallik.
  • All multilateral meetings and summits will now be handled by VikramDoraiswami.
  • The ministry also plans to expand and hire experts from the private sector and non-profit bodies as well.
European Investment Bank to invest 600 million euros in Pune Metro
  • The European Investment Bank (EIB) will invest 600 million euros (Rs 4,800 crore) in the upcoming Pune Metro Rail (PMR) project, the Maharashtra government announced.
  • A Memorandum of Understanding for the first tranche of 200 million euros (Rs 1,600 crore) was signed in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
  • The state government said, This will enable easier and affordable access to jobs, healthcare, education, reduce pollution, generate employment and slash commuting time for over 600,000 daily commuters among Pune’s three million population.
  • The fundings received will be utilised for the underground sections, a metro depot and other purposes.
  • The PMR will be 32.50 km long, costing around Rs 11,420 crore, running both on the surface and underground with 30 stations.
  • The PMR will help India achieve several United Nations” sustainable development goals like SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 11 (sustainable cities) and SDG 5 (gender equality).
FEBRUARY 02, 2020
Union Budget 2020-21 presented in the Parliament

The Union Budget of India for 2020–2021 was presented by the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman on 1 February 2020. The central ideas of the Budget are – “Aspirational India, Economic development, A Caring Society.”

Highlights & Important Point

~ Income Tax & other Personal Taxes ~

    • A simplified and new Income Tax Regime has been proposed as an option to the old regime.
    • Income between Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7.5 lakh: Reduced to 10% from the current 20%
    • Between Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh: Reduced to 15% from the current 20%
    • Between Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12.5 lakh: Reduced to 20% from the current 30%
    • Between Rs 12.5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh: Reduced to 25% from the current 30%
    • Above ₹15 lakh: Continue at 30%, but without exemptions

However, those who wish to continue to pay old rates may do so.

~ Business Sector ~

  • Concessional corporate tax rate of 15 per cent to new domestic companies in manufacturing and power sector.
  • Corporate tax for existing companies slashed to 22 per cent.
  • Govt proposes 100 per cent tax concession to sovereign wealth funds on investment in infra projects.
  • Concessional tax rate of 15 per cent extended to power generation companies.
  • Tax concession for sovereign wealth fund of foreign governments and other foreign investments.
  • Tax benefits to Start-ups by way of deduction of 100 per cent of their profits are enhanced by increasing turnover limit and period of eligibility period of eligibility.
  • Concessional tax rate for cooperatives proposed.
  • Turnover threshold for audit of MSMEs increased.
  • Extension of time limits pertaining to the tax benefits for affordable housing.
  • Issuance of Unique Registration Number to all charity institutions for easy tax compliance.
  • Health cess to be imposed on imports of medical equipment.
  • Dividend Distribution Tax removed and classical system of dividend taxation adopted
  • Simplified GST return shall be implemented from 1st April 2020. Refund process to be fully automated.
  • National Textile Mission to be launched with a proposed Rs 1,480 crore allocation. National Technical Textiles Mission for a period of 4 years
  • Allocation of Rs 27,300 crore for development of industry and commerce.
  • Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country has increased to $284 billion during 2014-19 from $190 billion in previous five years.
  • Scheme to encourage manufacturing of mobile phones, electronic equipment and semiconductor packaging
  • NIRVIK Scheme for higher export credit disbursement launched
  • Setting up of an Investment Clearance Cell to provide end to end facilitation
  • Extension of invoice financing to MSMEs through TReDs
  • A scheme to provide subordinated debt for entrepreneurs of MSMEs
  • Scheme anchored by EXIM Bank and SIDBI to handhold MSMEs in exports markets

 

~ Health Sector ~

  • Rs 69,000 crores allocated for the healthcare sector.
  • More than 20,000 empanelled hospitals under PM Jan Arogya Yojana.
  • FIT India movement launched to fight NCDs
  • Expansion of Jan Aushadhi Kendra Scheme to all districts by 2024

 

~ Infrastructure Sector ~

  • 9,000 km of economic corridor will be set up.
  • Chennai-Bengaluru expressway will also be started.
  • Delhi-Mumbai expressway to be completed by 2023.
  • 100 more airports to be developed by 2025
  • Transport infrastructure: Rs 1.7 lakh crore
  • National Infrastructure Pipeline: Rs 22,000 crore
  • National Logistics Policy to be launched soon National Logistics Policy to be launched soon
  • Accelerated development of Highways
  • Railways will set up Kisan Rail through PPP model so that perishable goods can be transported quickly.
  • 150 trains will run under the public private partnership (PPP) mode, also four stations will be redeveloped with the help of the private sector.
  • More Tejas type trains for tourist destinations
  • Coporatizing at least one major port
  • An International Bullion Exchange to be set up at GIFT City.
  • Power sector: Efforts to replace conventional energy meters by prepaid smart meters.
  • Gas Grid: Expand National Gas Grid to 27,000 km

 

~ Education & Training ~

  • Rs 99,300 crore allocated for education in FY21.
  • Govt will start Ind-Sat Exam to promote under Study in India programme and a degree-level online education programme for the deprived.
  • A total of Rs 3,000 crore will be given for skill development.
  • About 150 higher educational institutions will start apprenticeship embedded courses.
  • Internship opportunities to fresh engineers by urban local bodies.
  • Special bridge courses to improve skill sets of those seeking employment abroad.
  • Degree level online education programmes for students of deprived sections of the society.

 

~ Social Welfare Sector ~

  • Allocation for Swachh Bharat Mission for 2020-21 stands at Rs 12,300 crore.
  • In further push to PM Modi’s ‘Nal se jaal’ scheme, govt proposes Rs 3.6 lakh crore towards piped water supply to households.
  • Rs 35,600 crore allocated for nutritional related programme in FY21.
  • Rs 85,000 crore has been budgeted for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and other backward classes.
  • Rs 53,700 crore for Scheduled Tribes
  • Allocation for senior citizens and ‘Divyang’ enhanced to Rs 9500 crore.
  • Rs 4,400 crore to tackle Delhi’s air pollution problem.
  • Extends additional Rs 1.5 lakh tax benefit on interest paid on affordable housing loans to March 2021.
  • Tax holiday to affordable housing developers.

 

~ Women and Child Development ~

  • A task force to be appointed to recommend regarding lowering MMR and improving nutrition levels
  • Rs 28,600 crore will be allocated in FY21 for women-linked programmes.

 

~ Banking and Financial Sector ~

  • DICGC has been permitted to increase Deposit Insurance Coverage for a depositor from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per depositor.
  • Amendments in Banking regulation Act to strengthen Cooperative Banks.
  • Proposal to sell balance holding of the government of India IDBI Bank to private investors.
  • Recovery eligibility limit for NBFCs reduced to asset size of 100 crore or loan size of 50 lakh.
  • Separation of NPS Trust for government employees from PFRDAI
  • Specified categories of government securities would be opened for non-resident investors
  • FPI Limit for corporate bonds to be increased to 15 per cent.
  • New debt ETF proposed mainly for government securities

 

~ Technology Sector ~

  • 550 WiFi facilities have been commissioned at railway stations.1 lakh gram panchayats to get optical fibre link
  • An allocation of Rs 6,000 crore will be provided for BharatNet scheme.
    Rs 20,000 crore for renewable energy sector in a bid to tackle pollution and climate change.
  • A new scheme of smart meters will be launched.
  • An allocation of Rs 8,000 crore will be made for National Mission on Quantum Computing and Technology.
  • Knowledge Translation Clusters for emerging technology sectors
  • Scaling up of Technology Clusters harbouring test beds and small scale manufacturing facilities.

 

~ Disinvestment ~

  • Govt proposed an ambitious disinvestment target of PSU stake sales to the tune of Rs 2.1 lakh crore in the next financial year 2020-21.
  • Government to sell part holding in LIC.
  • Govt to also sell stake in IDBI Bank to private investors.

 

~ Agriculture & Allied Sectors ~

  • Budget allocation of Rs 2.83 lakh crore for agriculture and allied activities.
  • Doubling farmers incomes by 2020.
  • Krishi Udaan under Ministry of Civil Avaition on international and national routes to benefit farmers. Krishi Udaan scheme to transport agri products to national as well international destinations to be launched.
  • Self Help Groups will be allowed to set up village agri storage facilities.
  • NABARD will map and geo-tab 162 mn tonne capacity agri warehouses across country. FCI and Warehousing Corporation of India to build warehousing facility on their land.
    Government to incentivise farmers to go solar.
  • Over 6 crore farmers under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna have been insured.
  • Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha and Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) to be expanded, providing 20 lakh farmers in setting up standalone solar pumps.
  • Railways will set up Kisan Rail through PPP model so that perishable goods can be transported quickly.
  • Agri-credit target for the year 2020-21 has been set at Rs 15 lakh crore.
  • One horticulture crop in one district on cluster basis will be promoted.
    Viability gap funding for creation of efficient warehouses on PPP mode.
  • SHGs run Village storage scheme to be launched.
  • Integartion of e-NWR with e-NAM.
  • Elimination of FMD and brucellosis in cattle and PPR in sheep and goat by 2025.
  • Increasing coverage of artificial insemination to 70 per cent.
  • Doubling of milk processing capacity by 2025.
  • Fishery extention through 3477 Sagar Mitras and 500 fish FPOs.
  • Raise fishery exports to `1 lakh crore by 2024-25
  • Fish Production target of 200 lakh tonnes by 2022-23.

 

~ Culture & Tourism ~

  • Five archaeological sites would be developed as iconic sites with on-site museums would be developed at Rakhigarhi in Haryana, Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh, Sivasagar in Assam, Dholavira in Gujarat and Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu.
  • Indian Institute of Heritage and Conservation
  • Museum of Numismatics and trade
  • Tribal museum in Ranchi
  • Maritime Museum in Lothal
  • Tourism promotion gets Rs 2500 crore.
  • Ministry of Culture to get Rs 3,150 crore.

 

~ Fiscal Scenario ~

  • Fiscal deficit target pegged at 3.8% of GDP for FY 2019-20. FY21 fiscal deficit target pegged at 3.5% of GDP.

 

~ Miscellaneous ~

  • G20 Presidency in 2022 – Allocation of Rs 100 crore
  • Allocation of Rs 30,757 crore for Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir
  • Allocation of Rs 5,958 crore for Union Territory of Ladakh

 

  • State of Indian Economy §
  • Between 2006-2016, 271 million are out of poverty and we should be proud of it.
  • Total of 60 lakh new taxpayers and 105 crore e-way bills generated under GST
  • Central government debt reduced to 48.7 per cent of GDP in 2019 from 52.2 per cent.
  • India is now 5th largest economy in world.
  • Gross enrollment of girls is 94.32 per cent in elementary levels, 81.32 per cent in secondary level and 59.7 per cent in higher secondary level.
  • Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country has increased to $284 billion during 2014-19 from $190 billion in previous five years.
  • Nominal growth of GDP for 2020-21 has been estimated at 10 per cent
  • Receipts for 2020-21 estimated at 22.46 lakh crore rupees, and expenditure at 30.42 lakh crore rupees
  • ‘Vivad se Vishwas’ scheme for direct tax payers whose appeals are pending at various forum. 4.83 lakh direct cases pending in various appellate forums. Under the scheme, taxpayer to pay only amount of disputed tax. They will get complete waiver on interest and penalty if scheme is availed by March 31, 2020.
  • 15th Finance Commission has cut state share of central taxes by one percentage point to 41 per cent.
  • Rs 12.7 lakh crore to be transferred to states and union territories in 2020-21.
  • Government has insured 6.11 crore farmers under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna.
Centre to soon release National Logistics Policy
  • To create a single window e-logistics market, the Centre plans to release a ”National Logistics Policy”.
  • It will create a single window e-logistics market and focus on generation of employment, skills and making MSMEs competitive.
  • At present, India”s logistics sector is highly fragmented and the policy aims to reduce the logistics cost from 14 per cent of GDP to less than 10 per cent by 2022.
  • The sector provides livelihood to more than 22 million people and improving the sector will facilitate 10 per cent decrease in indirect logistics costs, leading to the growth of 5 to 8 per cent in exports.
  • The policy which has been formulated by the Commerce and Industry Ministry will improve India”s trade competitiveness, create more jobs, improve India”s performance in global rankings and pave the way for India to become a logistics hub.

 

Gopal Baglay appointed as High Commissioner to Sri Lanka
  • The government appointed Gopal Baglay as the next High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka.
  • Baglay, who is currently in the Prime Minister”s Office in New Delhi, will take over from Taranjit Singh Sandhu who was recently appointed as Ambassador to the US.
  • An 1992 batch IFS officer, Baglay has served in Moscow, London, Kathmandu and Islamabad besides holding key positions in the Ministry of External Affairs.
Government to launch new schemes to support export sector
  • To support and promote exports, the Centre proposed to launch new schemes in FY 2020-21.
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, said that the Centre plans to launch the Nirvik and ”Reversion of duties and taxes on exported products” scheme.
  • To achieve higher export credit disbursement, a new scheme, Nirvik is being launched, which provides for higher insurance coverage, reduction in premium for small exporters and simplified procedure for claim settlements.
  • It is proposed to digitally refund to exporters, duties and taxes levied at the Central, State and local levels, such as electricity duties and VAT on fuel used for transportation, which are not getting exempted or refunded under any other existing mechanism.
  • The development assumes significance as these schemes are expected to facilitate higher exports.
National Recruitment Agency for all computer based exams
  • Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that a National Recruitment Agency (NRA) will be set up for all computer-based examinations for recruitment to non-gazetted government and public sector banks posts.
  • The move has the potential to give a breath of fresh air for the youth of the country, who have been stuck in the vicious cycle of recruitment exams and an indefinite wait for jobs.
  • The Minister said that at present, candidates have to appear for multiple examinations conducted by multiple agencies at different points of time for similar posts.
  • To mitigate the hardship faced, it is proposed to set up a NRA as an independent, professional, specialist organisation for conduct of a computer-based online Common Eligibility Test for recruitment to non-gazetted posts
  • Non-gazetted jobs are the government jobs or posts which do not give the person the authority to issue an official stamp on the behalf of the government.
  • In terms of types of jobs, this includes Group B, Group C and Group D government jobs.

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FEBRUARY 03, 2020
Karbi New Year ‘Nikam Kimi’ celebrated
  • Nikam Kimi, the Karbi New Year was celebrated with pomp and gaiety throughout the district by different celebration committees.
  • As per the Karbi calendar, February 1 is considered as New Year by the community.
  • Nikam Kimi was celebrated throughout the day by holding various Karbi traditional events and games where male, female and youth participated.
  • It may be mentioned here that Ningkam Kimi was welcomed by symbolically releasing pigeons in the sky by the dignitaries.
  • The Karbi Ningkan Kimi (Karbi New Year) was celebrated with splendour and exuberance across the twin hill district of Karbi Anglong on February 1.
  • The Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) declared February 1 as official holiday.
US, India celebrate 70th Fulbright exchange program
  • The United States and India celebrated the 70th anniversary of the prestigious Fulbright exchange program which has awarded scholarships to over 11,000 Indians and Americans so far.
  • US Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce from Washington to attend the gala event in New Delhi.
  • The Fulbright program, created by Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946, was designed to increase mutual understanding among the people of the United States and the people of other countries. It has now grown into the premier US international educational exchange program in the world.
  • The binational United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) was among the earliest of the Fulbright Commissions or foundations.
  • On February 2, 1950, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and US Ambassador to India Loy Henderson signed a bilateral agreement to implement and administer a country Fulbright Program on behalf of the partner governments.
  • Since its inception, USIEF has awarded approximately 11,128 Fulbright Fellowships to Indians and Americans.
  • On July 4, 2008, the United States and India signed a historic new Fulbright agreement that made India a full partner in the governance and funding of the Fulbright Program.
Sakhi centre, one-stop centre to provide support to women of sexual violence, inaugurated in Tezpur
  • Sakhi, a one-stop centre to provide integrated support and assistance under one roof for women affected by sexual and physical violence, was inaugurated at VidyaMandir building at Dhanua Nagar, Morabharalipaar.
  • The one-stop centre has been set up by the Sonitpur district administration and the Social Welfare Department to provide integrated services of medical and legal aid, guidance on the procedure of registering police complaints, along with psycho-social counselling and temporary shelter to women who have been victims of sexual or physical violence.
  • A toll-free number 181 has also been made available for women in distress.
  • The scheme is Centrally sponsored by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development under the National Mission for Empowerment of Women.

FEBRUARY 04, 2020

Madhya Pradesh’s Kalidas Awards for Assam dance guru, Kathak danseuse
  • Veteran classical dance guru from Assam, Jatin Goswami, and renowned Kathak danseuse Guru Uma Sharma will be conferred Madhya Pradesh”s prestigious cultural award, National Kalidas Samman, for 2017 and 2018 respectively during the Khajuraho Dance festival.
  • The award amount comprises Rs 2 lakh and a plaque.
  • Goswami, 87, is a legendary choreographer of the Sattriya dance form which originated in eastern Assam.
  • It is a dance-drama form with origins in the Krishna-centric Vaishnavist monasteries of Assam and attributed to the 15th century Bhakti movement scholar and saint Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev.
  • Sharma has a reputation as a senior guru, choreographer and dancer in the field of Kathak dance.
  • Born in Delhi in 1942, she received dance education from Guru Hiralal and GirivarDayal.
  • Following the Kathak tradition of the Jaipur Gharana, she also received guidance from ShambhuMaharaj and BirjuMaharaj. Her dedication to Kathak is acknowledged the world over. She has also received the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.
India to have 10 more Defence Attaches
  • To strengthen India’s defence diplomacy, the Ministry of Defence announced creation of 10 new posts of Defence Attaches (DAs).
  • The government has introduced a new scheme to promote defence exports through Defence Attaches to their respective countries.
  • Under this scheme, funds have been allocated for export promotion to 34 countries.
  • The Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) have also opened offices for their liaison officers in countries like Vietnam, Singapore, Myanmar, Oman and others.
  • India has also offered several defence Line of Credits (LOC) to friendly countries to allow Indian defence exports and increase their presence in the global market.
IIT-Madras builds AI technology to convert brain signals into language
  • Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-Madras) have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to convert brain signals of speech impaired humans into language.
  • The researchers can potentially interpret nature’s signals such as the plant photosynthesis process or their response to external forces.
  • Electrical signals, brain signals, or any signal in general, are waveforms which are decoded to meaningful information using physical law or mathematical transforms such as Fourier Transform or Laplace Transform.
  • The output result is the ionic current, which represents the flow of ions which are charged particles.
  • These electrically driven ionic current signals are worked on to be interpreted as human language meaning speech. This would tell us what the ions are trying to communicate with us.
  • They tested this concept by getting experimental electrical signals through experiments in the laboratory to get signals from nanofluidic transport inside nanopores.
  • The nanopores were filled with saline solution and mediated using an electric field.

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FEBRUARY 05, 2020

Highest priority accorded to North Eastern Region in Union Budget 2020-21
  • Union Minister of Development of North Eastern Region is Jitendra Singh (Minister of state, Independent Charge) said the hallmark of the Union Budget 2020-21 is that it accords the highest priority to the overall development of the Northeastern region.
  • The budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) saw a hike of over 14 per cent from Rs 2,670 crore last year to Rs 3,049 crore in 2020-21.
  • The budget for the North Eastern Council (NEC) has been doubled from Rs 700 crore to Rs 1,474 crore in the last five years.
  • The budget has accorded the highest priority to the overall development of the Northeastern region keeping in tune with the vision and declaration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he came to power in 2014.
  • He said there is a constant and progressive rise in funds for the development of the Northeastern region since 2014.
  • In case of the Ministry of DoNER, the budgetary allocation for 2020-21 is Rs 3,049 crore as against Rs 2,670 crore in the Revised Estimate (RE) 2019-20. Of the total Rs 3,049 crore, the provision for development of infrastructure is around Rs 2,900 crore compared to Advance Estimate (AE) 2014-15 of Rs 1,719 crore.
  • The budget allocation of the Ministry of DoNER in 2020-21 is higher by 77.26 per cent, he said.
  • In case of schemes being implemented by the North Eastern Council (NEC), the current year’s budgetary allocation is Rs 1,474 crore, an increase of 19.23 per cent over RE 2019-20 allocation of Rs 1,237 crore.
  • The government is ensuring smooth access to financial assistance from multilateral and bilateral funding agencies to help introduce innovative and global best practices. The Central government has effectively used an online portal to reduce gestation period. This has improved the flow of funds to the Northeast region.
  • The inland waterways received a boost in the last five years. The Jal Vikas Marg on National Waterway-1 will be completed. Further, the 890-km Dhubri-Sadiya waterway will be completed by 2022.
  • Plans are afoot to energise eco-heritage sites. Government proposes to establish an Indian Institute of Heritage and Conservation under the Ministry of Culture; it shall have the status of a deemed university to start with.
  • Five archaeological sites – Rakhigarhi (Haryana), Hastinapur (Uttar Pradesh), Sivasagar (Assam), Dholavira (Gujarat) and Adichanallur (Tamil Nadu) – would be developed as iconic sites with on-site museums.
Union Cabinet approves amendment Bill for IIITs
  • The Union Cabinet has approved the Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
  • The Bill grants statutory status to five Indian Institutes of Information Technology in Public-Private Partnership mode at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur and declare them as Institutions of National Importance along with the existing 15 Indian Institutes of Information Technology under the Indian Institutes of Information Technology (Public-Private Partnership) Act, 2017.
  • The Bill, once it gets parliamentary approval, will amend the principal Acts of 2014 and 2017 to enable these IIITs to use the nomenclature of Bachelor”s in Technology (B.Tech) or Master”s in Technology (M.Tech) or Ph.D degree as issued by a university or Institution of National Importance.
  • It will enable the institutes to attract enough students required to develop a strong research base in the country in the field of information technology.
  • The five IIITs at Surat, Bhopal, Bhagalpur, Agartala and Raichur are already functioning as societies registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.
  • After changes in the existing laws, these institutions will be covered under the IIIT (PPP) Act, 2017, similar to 15 others established under the scheme in the PPP mode.
UP to procure Dornier aircraft to ferry passengers
  • Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that his government will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with HAL for two 19 seater Dornier aircraft for non-military purpose.
  • The aircraft can be used to ferry passenger from one destination to another.
  • The Chief Minister said that flight services could be started from Lucknow to Varanasi or Lucknow to Agra.
  • He also said that his government is making a military manufacturing policy so that Uttar Pradesh can become a hub of defence production.
  • The Chief Minister also said that the corridor is being developed with an objective of promoting indigenisation and supporting the ”Make in India” initiative towards fulfilling equipment requirements worth over $250 billion by 2025.
  • The Chief Minister announced that his government has planned to develop the Ganga Expressway from Uttar Pradesh to Bihar.

 

FEBRUARY 06, 2020

Chief Minister Conrad Sangma inaugurated Meghalaya Police Academy
  • Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma inaugurating the Meghalaya Police Academy in Ri-Bhoi district. With this, Meghalaya got its own police academy which, in due course of time, is expected to be developed as a research centre to study the social pattern related to crimes and the health of the State’s population.
  • The Meghalaya Police Academy is located at Umran, Niangbyrnai, close to the North Eastern Police Academy (NEPA) in Ri-Bhoi district. The academy will initially take in 40 trainees.
  • This centre should also function as a research centre by bringing together the society, not necessarily in policing, but in maintaining law and order with simple standard operating procedures right from the village level.
  • Maintaining law and order has become more complicated, and requires specialised training and skill sets under the changing scenario. Issues like cyber crimes have made a huge impact on the society and stressed the need of analysing situations with new skills and technologies.
  • The first phase of the academy has been built with a total fund of Rs 50 crore provided by the 13th Finance Commission from 2013. Work for the second phase of the academy will start soon with an additional fund of Rs 92 crore from the 15th Finance Commission.
  • The NEPA, which was established in 1978, is mandated to provide training to recruits in the police forces from all the North Eastern State. Some State Police personnel undergo training at the NEPA, while the majority are trained at the Police Training School (PTS).
HAL signs MoU with Israeli firm to make & sell drones
  • Indian state-owned aerospace and defence company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bengaluru based Dynamatic Technologies Limited (DTL) and Israel Aerospace Industries Limited (IAI) at DefExpo 2020.
  • In India drones are playing significant role in wars and other tactical missions such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
  • HAL has the best capability and infrastructure available in India to manufacture world class and battle-proven drones.
  • HAL as a long-time partner of IAI is involved in the depot level maintenance of all ranges of drones supplied by IAI to the Indian forces since 2004.
  • The partnership would be the first in the country to manufacture IAI designed UAVs in India such as short range tactical class having long endurance.
  • This collaboration will enhance technology sharing and business partnership between India and Israel.
Union Cabinet decision for Cooperative Banks to come under RBI regulations
  • The Union Cabinet has taken a major step to reform the cooperative banks of the country. Now the banking operations of as many as 1540 cooperative banks of the country have come under the regulation of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
  • At present, commercial, scheduled and nationalised banks regulate under RBI.
  • But now under the Banking Regulation Amendment Act 2019, the norms of commercial banks will be applicable on cooperative banks as well.
  • The administrative system of the cooperative banks will continue as per the rules of the Co-operative Registrar as usual.
  • RBI norms will apply only to the banking system of cooperative banks.
  • Now candidates will have to qualify and fulfil certain conditions to become a cooperative bank officer.
  • Rules will also have to be followed for loan waiver. If the situation worsens, RBI will also have the rights to supersede and take control of the bank.
South Salmara Mankachar district bagged national award for Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
  • The South SalmaraMankachar district has bagged a national award for proper execution of Pradhan Mantri MatruVandanaYojana (PMMVY) scheme.
  • Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani, presented the award at a function held at New Delhi recently.
  • Indore of Madhya Pradesh and Kurnool of Andhra Pradesh shared first and the second prize respectively, while South SalmaraMankachar district bagged the third prize.
  • The Assam team was represented by JishnuBaruah, Additional Chief Secretary of Assam; Hemen Das, Secretary to the Government of Assam, Social Welfare Department; Niva Das, Joint Director, Social Welfare Department and KishoriBaruah, District Social Welfare Officer of South SalmaraMankachar district.

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FEBRUARY 07, 2020

Govt proposes jail term for ads promoting magic remedies
  • The Health and Family Welfare Ministry has proposed the draft amendment to the Drugs and magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements Act, 1954), with a stringent punishment of a jail term of up to five years and a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.
  • For advertisements for magic remedies and drugs for fair skin, enhancing sexual performance, stammering, infertility in women, premature ageing and greying, increasing brain capacity among others.
  • The draft amendment has made several additions to the list of diseases, disorders, conditions covered in the Act.
  • The Act says that medicines, “magic remedies” and products to cure any of these 78 diseases, disorders, conditions named should not be advertised.
  • Under the Act, the first conviction is punishable with imprisonment of up to six months or fine or both; and a subsequent conviction can result in imprisonment of up to a year or fine, or both.
  • The amendment proposes to increase the penalties. For the first conviction, the proposed punishment is imprisonment of up to two years and fine up to Rs 10 lakh. For subsequent conviction, the imprisonment may extend to five years with a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.
  • The draft bill also proposes an expansion of definition of an advertisement.
  • It says, “any audio or visual publicity, representation, endorsement or pronouncement made by means of light, sound, smoke, gas, print, electronic media, internet or website and includes any notice, circular, label, wrapper, invoice, banner, poster or such other documents.
Tripura CM seeks Israeli help in security, water management
  • Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb held a meeting with Israeli Ambassador to India Ron Malka in New Delhi and discussed mutual cooperation in a variety of fields including security and surveillance systems.
  • Deb discussed diverse potential areas of cooperation with the Israel Ambassador.
  • The Chief Minister discussed about the joint cooperation on the areas of security and surveillance system, water management, agriculture, food processing, packaging, cold storage, technology transfer, tourism and culture.
  • The Israeli Ambassador expressed willingness to visit Tripura along with his team soon.
J&K Administrative Council approved the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission
  • The Jammu & Kashmir Administrative Council approved the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and the roadmap to achieve 100 per cent coverage of piped water supply by December 2021 across the region aligning it to the National Mission of Jal Jeevan.
  • The objective of the mission is to provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) to every rural household with priority to desert, drought prone,border areas, schools, anganwadi and health centres.
  • Under the mission, sustainability of the water supply system will be ensured besides empowerment and development of human resource in the sector so as to meet the demands of construction, plumbing and water quality management.
  • Under the National Jal Jeevan Mission, every rural household of the country will be connected with piped water supply by 2024 with an aim ”HarGharNal Se Jal”.
  • At present, 30.5% of J&K’s rural households have piped water connections compared to the national average of 18%.
  • To achieve 100 per cent coverage under JJM in a phased manner by December 2021, the PHE Department has carried out a detailed exercise to prepare a District Water Security Plan through the District Water and Sanitation Mission headed by the concerned Deputy Commissioners.
  • In the initial phase, seven districts viz. Poonch, Reasi, Samba, Srinagar, Ganderbal, Shopian and Pulwama will be covered for 100% piped water supply by June 2020.
  • In the second phase, seven more districts will be covered by June 2021 and the remaining six districts shall be covered in the third phase ending December 2021.
Indian, Russian companies ink 14 defence MoUs
  • As many as 14 MoUs were signed between Russian original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Indian companies at Defexpo currently on in Lucknow.
  • The MoUs were signed during the fifth round of India-Russia military industrial conference which was co-chaired by Ajay Kumar, Defence Secretary, and Oleg Ryazantsev, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russian Federation.
  • The first ”Request for Proposal” for manufacturing of parts in India under the provision of inter-governmental agreement was also handed over by the Indian Navy to the identified Indian industry.
  • Representatives from both the countries acknowledged that the MoUs would pave the way for more contracts for joint manufacturing of spares parts.
  • The IGA provides framework for partnership of Russian OEMs with Indian industry for manufacturing of spare parts of Russian origin equipment in use by the Indian defence forces.
  • The Indian side has taken steps to expedite the collaboration between the Indian and Russian companies as the country looks forward to expeditious commencement of manufacturing in India.

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Assam Current Affairs – January 29 – 31, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – January 29 - 31, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of January 29 – 31, 2020 )

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JANUARY 29, 2020

Assam gets best tableau award for Republic Day 2020 parade
  • Assam’s Republic Day tableau has been adjudged best among the tableaus from 16 states and Union Territories. The tableau of Assam was based on the theme ‘Land of Unique Craftsmanship and Culture’.
  • Tableau of Odisha and Uttar Pradesh were named joint second best. The tableau of Odisha displayed the famous Rukuna RathaYatra of Lord Lingaraja worshipped as both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu in a sixth century built temple named ‘Lingaraj Temple’ at Bhubaneswar.
  • The tableau of Uttar Pradesh mirrored the cultural and religious tourism of the state with the theme ‘Sarva Dharma SamaBhav’.
  • Among the six tableaus from different ministries and departments, Ministry of Jal Shakti and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) won the joint best tableau award.
  • The tableau of Central Public Works Department (CPWD), with the theme ‘Kashmir se Kanyakumari’, bagged the special prize for showcasing different parts of the country decorated with colourful and fragrant flowers.
  • The Defence Minister gave away the award of best cultural performance to the children of SarvodayaKanyaVidyalaya, B-Block, Janakpuri, New Delhi.
Odisha CM launches virtual police station
  • Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a virtual police station, which will facilitate online registration of FIR in unknown motor vehicle theft cases.
  • The Chief Minister also launched medico legal opinion system and road accident case document module at LokSevaBhawan which is aimed at reducing human interface with government offices.
  • The Chief Minister said that the government is committed to providing citizen-centric governance under 5-T.
  • The virtual police station is an online mechanism established at the State Crime Records Bureau in Bhubaneswar to facilitate online registration of FIR in unknown motor vehicle theft cases.
  • It will benefit citizens for claiming insurance in motor vehicle theft cases.
  • The road accident case documents module is a web-based application and it will help insurance companies or the victims in downloading the required documents like FIR, final form, spot map, MVI report and post mortem report.
  • The medico legal opinion system is a web-based system and it is helpful to both the police and medical professionals.
  • Under it, the police can submit requisitions online for medical examination of victims. Besides, the doctors will upload their medical examination reports online which will be downloaded by the police for necessary action.
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship organised Great Indian Media Job Festival
  • The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has organised India’s first and largest media job festival – Great Indian Media Job Festival.
  • The job fest, organised in alliance with the Media and Entertainment Skill Council (MESC), began on January 27 and will continue till February 1.
  • Hiring will be carried in 78 Arena/MAAC Centres in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Indore, Pune and Baroda.
  • More than 100 recruiters will hire staff across graphic design, 3D modelling, VFX, web designing, motion graphics, rotoscopy, animation and other job roles.
CM Sonowal distributes land patta to indigenous landless people
  • The Chief Minister Sonowal distributed the land pattas and land allotment letters to 4,513 landless indigenous families.
  • Satradhikar of Dakhinpat Satra Nanigopal Devagoswami was among those who received the land patta from the Chief Minister on behalf of the satra.
  • Apart from distributing financial assistance of Rs 3,800 per family to 176 flood-hit families, the Chief Minister also gave away financial grants to 187 schools under the 14th Finance Commission.

 

JANUARY 30, 2020

Assam Sahitya Sabha announces awards, honours
  • The Asam Sahitya Sabha has announced a host of awards and honours including the Preranamoyi Nari Sanman’ which would be conferred on RekhaBaruah for her exploits in the literary field.
  • The Sabha will confer the honour on Baruah under its president’s special honour and award category.
  • Dr Narayan Das has been chosen for the BhashaPran honour in recognition of his work in Assamese and Brajabuli languages.
  • The AnubadRatna honour has been conferred posthumously on BhrigugiriMaharaj for translating the Samaveda and the Atharva Veda into Assamese.
  • ParthaSarathiMahanta has been chosen for the Ananda Chandra Agarwala award for his contribution to Assamese literature and cinema.
  • The BisheshSamajHitoyshi, BisheshYuvaSahitya and Special Cultural Organiser (by Medhi Dharani-AlokaNyas) awards which will be given to Ganesh Tamuli, BarnaliKalita and Tarun Azad Deka respectively.
  • The Sabha also named DhrubajyotiSarma for the MahendraBorthakur Memorial Special Playwright Award.
  • Habibur Rahman will be given the M Ilimuddin Dewan Award and Samar Talukdar the Hari Prasad Neog Award.
Tripura unveils new Tourism Policy
  • The Tripura Government has adopted a new tourism policy with special emphasis on religious tourism, tea tourism and eco-tourism to promote the State in a big way.
  • The Tourism Development Corporation was launched in 2008 and a separate department for tourism was created in 2013, but there has been no progress in this sector. We are trying to reverse this trend and ensure growth of this sector.
  • The State Cabinet has decided to approach the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to get Unakoti, a hidden treasure of spiritual tourism in the State, listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
  • The splendid rock works at Unakoti near Dharmanagar subdivision are under the protection of the ASI.
  • Tourism is the priority sector for the State Government as it is a revenue multiplier. An increase in tourist flow would introduce the rich cultural heritage of the State to the world, which would be beneficial for the State in multiple sectors like trade and commerce.
  • The new tourism policy will ensure coordinated development of the tourism sector in a bid to attract domestic as well as foreign tourists.
  • In 2017-2018, altogether 4,83,488 tourists visited Tripura, but the footfall grew in 2018-2019 with 5,29,879 tourists visiting the State. In 2019-2020, 3,97,202 tourists visited the State up to November and this year’s final figure will surely cross the previous year’s number. There has been an increase in the number of foreign tourists also.
  • The Central Government is providing funds for development of tourist destinations under the Swadesh Darshan scheme.
NCRB launches missing person, vehicle NOC services
  • The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) launched two police-related, citizen-centric services on the Crime and CCTNS platform which will help people in searching for missing persons and generating vehicle NOC (No Objection Certificates).
  • It is the first time that these services ”Missing Person Search” and ”Generate Vehicle NOC” are being launched centrally while such services were being provided through the state citizen portals so far.
  • These services can be accessed through ”digitalpolicecitizenservices.gov.in” portal or through a link in the existing ”Digital Police Portal”.
  • In this user-friendly search, a citizen may enter search criteria in the portal and the system will search for it from the available national database across the country and will display the result immediately with photograph and other details.
  • Generate Vehicle NOC allows citizens to ascertain the status of a vehicle before its second-hand purchase, as to whether it is suspicious or clean from police records.
  • This search could be made against national database based on vehicle”s details. One can generate and download the relevant NOC required by the RTO before the transfer of ownership.
India’s gold demand falls 9 % on record prices in 2019, said World Gold Council (WGC)
  • India’s gold demand fell nine per cent to 690.4 tonnes in 2019 from the previous calendar year as record domestic prices and economic slowdown dented retail purchase, the World Gold Council (WGC) said.
  • However, in 2020, gold demand in India, the world’s second biggest consumer after China, could increase to 700-800 tonnes on hopes of increased acceptance of high price level and likely economic reforms boosting consumer confidence.
  • The domestic gold price finished 2019 just above Rs 39,000 per ten grams, almost 24 per cent higher than at the end of 2018.
  • As policy measures unfold, broader economic growth accelerates and local prices of the past six months become more acceptable among households, India’s gold demand will be in the range of 700-800 tonnes in 2020.
  • Already, the government has made hallmarking (quality certification) mandatory on January 15, 2020 with a transition period of one year for the trade to sell or change its existing non-hallmarked inventory. This is an overdue reform and a positive step towards making the Indian gold more trustworthy.
  • In 2019, the WGC said India’s gold demand in volume terms declined to 690.4 tonnes from 760.4 tonnes in 2018, out of which jewellery demand fell nine per cent to 544.6 tonnes from 598 tonnes, while bar and coins demand also dropped 10 per cent to 145.8 tonnes from 162.4 tonnes in the said period.
  • However in value terms, the country’s gold demand rose three per cent to Rs 2,17,770 crore in 2019 from Rs 2,11,860 crore in the previous year.
  • India’s gold import including through grey channels, the WGC said it declined by 14 per cent to 646.8 tonnes in 2019 from 755.7 tonnes in 2018. Imports through grey market stood at 115-120 tonnes in 2019.

 

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JANUARY 31, 2020

Union Govt approves 30 per cent funds for NEC projects
  • The Centre approved allocation of 30 per cent funds of the North Eastern Council (NEC) for new projects for focused development of deprived areas and neglected sections of society.
  • As per the plans, allocation of 30 per cent of NEC funds will be for new projects under the existing ‘Schemes of North Eastern Council’ for focused development of deprived areas; deprived or neglected sections of society and emerging priority sectors in the northeastern states.
  • The balance allocation shall be bifurcated in the existing two components – state component of 60 per cent and Central component of 40 per cent.
  • The projects will be allowed under state component, up to 25 per cent of each state’s normative allocation, for sectors not covered in the mandate of NEC, but which are considered important as per local felt needs as per recommendations of the state governments.
  • The projects under the existing ‘Schemes of NEC’ will accrue socioeconomic benefits to the marginalised and vulnerable groups of people in backward and neglected areas of the northeastern states.
Busu festival celebrated in Dima Hasao
  • Busu or Bishu, one of the major festivals of Dimasa people was celebrated throughout the district of Dima Hasao with great enthusiasm and traditional fervour.
  • At Maibang, the Jidab Busu was celebrated at Damadi Hawar with a three-day programme, which saw participation of hundreds of people. They also organized traditional games , sports and dance competitions during the event.
  • Greater Maibang central Busu was organized at Dishru Sports Complex Mabang, where Naba Kumar Doley, State Minister of Panchayat and Rural Development Department attended as the chief guest.
  • The State Government is committed in preserving and protecting tradition and culture of all communities living in Assam.
  • Busu is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Dimasa people. ‘Busu’ means festival of eating newly-grown autumnal rice, and so it can be considered as a harvesting festival too.
Govt takes over IMEI-related processes from private body
  • The Department of Telecom has taken over the process to issue and manage IMEI allocation for mobile phones in India from the private body MSAI.
  • The IMEI number – a unique 15-digit serial number of mobile devices – is allocated by global industry body GSMA and organisations authorised by it. When a mobile phone is lost, the victim is required to mention the IMEI number of the handset for tracking.
  • The Department of Telecom (DoT) had issued a standard operating procedure in May 2015 to prohibit import of mobile phones with duplicate, fake and non-genuine international mobile equipment identity.
  • The process was being managed by Mobile Standard Alliance of India (MSAI), erstwhile reporting body of GSMA in India.
  • The government has decided to replace the MSAI operated system and hence a new system, Indian Counterfeited Device Restriction (ICDR) system, has been developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics – R&D unit of DoT for implementing the SOP.
  • The new system has been operationalised on pilot basis on the web portal of Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR). The CEIR is being used to block all services on stolen or lost mobile phones on any network even if the SIM card is removed or the IMEI number of the handset is changed.

FACTFILE – International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI)

  • The International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI is a number, usually unique, to identify 3GPP and iDEN mobile phones, as well as some satellite phones.
  • It is usually found printed inside the battery compartment of the phone, but can also be displayed on-screen on most phones by entering *#06# on the dialpad, or alongside other system information in the settings menu on smartphone operating systems.
  • GSM networks use the IMEI number to identify valid devices, and can stop a stolen phone from accessing the network.

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Assam Current Affairs – January 15 – 21, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – January 15 - 21, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of January 15 – 21, 2020 )

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JANUARY 15, 2020

World Bank has approved a Rs 630-crore loan to the Assam Inland Water Transport
  • The World Bank has approved a Rs 630-crore loan to the Assam Inland Water Transport (AIWT) for modernisation of the State’s passenger ferry services on the Brahmaputra and other rivers.
  • Under the Assam Inland Water Transport Project (AIWTP), the infrastructure of passenger ferry services will be improved and the capacity of institutions running the inland water transport will be strengthened.
  • Better-designed terminals and energy-efficient vessels will make the ferry services more sustainable with least disruption to nature.
  • Of the total project cost of Rs 770 crore, the bank will provide Rs 630 crore.
  • The loan was signed between AIWTP and the Country Director, India, World Bank in presence of Additional Secretary (FB&ADB), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India in New Delhi.
  • The Indian delegation on behalf of Government of Assam was represented by Adil Khan, State Project Director, Assam Inland Water Transport Development Society.
  • With the World Bank’s support, the government will create an institutional framework to turn inland waterways into a mode of transport which is both attractive and well-suited to the people.
  • The project will also improve the infrastructure of ferry services and focus on safety of women passengers.
  • The terminals will have better access, lighting and signages, while the new vessels will be equipped with individual seats and washroom facilities.
  • A strengthened regulatory regime will ensure reduced overloading, adherence to time schedule and better crew standards.
Solar plant of one MW set up at NIT Agartala
  • A one MW capacity solar rooftop power plant was commissioned at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) at Agartala, which will save energy valued at Rs 60 lakh per year.
  • Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development (MHRD), Sanjay Dhotre formally inaugurated the solar power plant, sanctioned by the union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
  • Around Rs 6.5 crore was spent to install the solar power plant, commissioned by an Odisha-based private company. With the installation of the solar power plant, it is expected that on an average energy worth of Rs 5 lakh would be saved per month.
India celebrates its 72nd Army Day
  • The Army Day is celebrated on January 15 every year as it was this day when Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa’s taken over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India, on 15 January 1949.
  • The day is celebrated in the form of parades and other military shows in the national capital New Delhi as well as in all headquarters.
  • On 15 January 2020, India celebrated its 72nd Indian Army Day in New Delhi.
  • Army Day marks a day to salute the valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect the country and its citizens.
  • The main Army Day parade is conducted in Cariappa Parade ground in Delhi cantonment. Gallantry awards and Sena medals are also awarded on this day.
  • In 2020, 15 soldiers were presented with bravery awards. ParamVir Chakra and Ashok Chakra awardees participate in the Army Day parade every year.
Lt Gen Girish Kumar re-appointed Surveyor General of India
  • The Centre appointed Lt General Girish Kumar as the Surveyor General of India in Survey of India on contract basis for a period of one year.
  • Appointment Committee of the Cabinet approved the proposal from re-appointment of Kumar on the post for one year with effect from January 1, 2020 or from the date of assumption of charge, whichever is later and until further orders.
  • Kumar was earlier appointed as Surveyor General Of India on September 30, 2017 under the Survey of India, the national survey and mapping organization of the country.

FACTFILE – Surveyor General of India

  • The Surveyor General of India is the Head of Department of Survey of India, a Department under the Ministry of Science and Technology of Government of India.
  • He/She is the senior most member of the Survey of India Service.
NAREDCO launches e-commerce portal for housing
  • National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) annnounced the launch of an e-commerce housing portal, ”HousingForAll.Com”.
  • The portal will be open for home buyers with a 45-day sale period starting February 14.
  • The portal will be open for one month. i.e from January 14 to February 13, 2020, for developers to register their projects.
  • During the first 15 days of the 45-day sale period, the portal will be opened for buyers and they would be able to view offers and shortlist properties. They will be able purchase the shortlisted properties in March.
  • The buyers will be able to view information such as floor plans, room dimensions, video tours of units and external views looking out from windows and balconies.
  • Also, they will be able to directly book or reserve a unit from the portal with a refundable payment of only Rs 25,000.
  • They will also get ”money back guarantee”, where their initial buyer deposit made on the portal is secured and is fully refundable in case the buyer chooses not to purchase the unit.

JANUARY 16, 2020

Assam Cancer foundation sign MoU with NRL
  • As a CSR initiative aligned with NRL’s focus area of improving community health, an MoU was signed between NRL and Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF) to equip the upcoming radiotherapy block annexed to the Barpeta Medical College & Hospital.
  • The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 16.83 crore.
  • The MoU was signed by Debasish Choudhury, Senior Chief General Manager (HR & Legal), NRL, and GautamChintey, Project Director, ACCF, on behalf of NRL and ACCF respectively in the presence of officials from both the sides.
  • NRL will support ACCF to procure cancer treatment equipment such as LINAC–True beam without SRS, HDR brachytherapy, dosimetry and immobilisation unit and CT simulator.
India, Finland ink MoU to enhance defence cooperation
  • India and Finland inked an MoU to enhance bilateral defence cooperation, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and and the Finnish Defence Ministry”s Permanent Secretary, JukkaJuusti signed the Mou.
  • MoU was signed on co-operation in the field of production, procurement, research and development of defence-related equipment and industrial cooperation on the sidelines of Raisina Dialogue 2020.
  • Under the broad ambit of the MoU, cooperation between Finnish companies and Indian defence public sector undertakings could be explored.
  • The MoU was under discussion since the Defence Expo 2018 and has now been formalised in the run up to Defence Expo 2020, to be held in Lucknow between February 5-9.
Anand Prakash Maheshwariwas appointed as CRPF chief
  • The Uttar Pradesh cadre, 1984 batch IPS officer, Anand Prakash Maheshwariwas appointed CRPF chief.
  • Maheshwari took over from ITBP Director General S.S. Deswal who was given the additional charge to head the country”s largest paramilitary force, after DG R.R. Bhatnagar retired on December 31.
  • Maheshwari, who will hold the post till his retirement in February next year, was handed over the DG”s ceremonial DG at the CRPF headquarters and also accorded a guard of honour by force personnel.
  • The Special Secretary, Internal Security, in the Ministry of Home Affairs prior to this, he has earlier worked in the CRPF as Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General.
  • He has also headed the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) and served as an Additional DG in the Border Security Force.

FACTFILE – The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

  • Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is India’s largest Central Armed Police Force. It functions under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the Government of India.
  • CRPF’s primary role lies in assisting the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain law and order and counter insurgency.
  • It came into existence as the Crown Representative’s Police on 27 July 1939. After Indian Independence, it became the Central Reserve Police Force on enactment of the CRPF Act on 28 December 1949.
  • Besides law and order and counter-insurgency duties, the CRPF has played an increasingly large role in India’s general elections. During the Parliamentary elections of September 1999, the CRPF played a major role in the security arrangements. Of late, CRPF contingents are also being deployed in UN missions.
  • With 239 battalions and various other establishments, the CRPF is considered India’s largest paramilitary force and has a sanctioned strength of more than 300,000 personnel as of 2017.
Maharastra CM launches first girder of India’s longest sea-bridge
  • Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray launched the first girder for the country’s longest sea-bridge, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL).
  • Thackeray, along with top officials of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and others launched the girder at the Mumbai-end of MTHL in Sewri.
  • The girder weighing 1,000 tonnes was set off by a 1,400-tonnes ”launching girder” and mark the erection of the first span in the civilian works of the MTHL.
  • The MTHL, the second road link cutting through the Arabian Sea in the island city”s eastern coast, will connect the mainland with Sewri and Chirle respectively.
  • Estimated to cost around Rs 14,260 crore, it is being financed by a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
  • The total bridge will be 22 kms long of which 16.5 kms will run in the sea, with interchanges on both sides, making it the longest sea-bridge in India, and second after the Rajiv Gandhi BandraWorli Sea Link, which is now being extended up to Andheri.
Himachal Govt Pact with AAI for greenfield airport in Mandi
  • A memorandum of understanding for development of a greenfield airport at Nagchala in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh was signed between the state and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
  • Director Tourism and Civil Aviation Yunus on behalf of the state and AAI Executive Director Planning H.S. Balhara signed the agreement in the presence of AAI Chairman Arvind Singh.
  • The development of airport will be through a joint venture company (JVC) wherein the AAI will hold 51 per cent equity and the remaining will be held by state or its designated agency.
  • The JVC will undertake the functions of design, finance, construction and completion of the airport project for commercial civil aviation operation and maintenance and management of the airport.
  • The state will acquire and transfer land for airport to the JVC.

 

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JANUARY 17, 2020

Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi flags off National Integration Tour
  • Governor Professor Jagdish Mukhi flagged off a national integration tour from the NE states to Pune and naval dockyard Mumbai, at the Raj Bhavanin a move to imbibe a pan-Indian vision and attitude in students.
  • Organised by Moreh Battalion of 26 Sector Assam Rifles under the aegis of Inspector General Assam Rifles (South), the national integration camp is aimed at helping the students know different states of India and develop a pan-India attitude.
  • The objective of the tour is to enable the youths of NE states to see the amalgamation of the varied and rich culture of India and develop a feeling of ‘unity in diversity’ that the country stands for as well as to develop a strong bonding between NE region and rest of the country.
  • The tour includes various aspects like sightseeing, visits to defence establishments, DRDO and interactions with prominent personalities like governors, etc.
India’s communication satellite GSAT-30 put into orbit
  • The European space agency Arianespace put India’s communication satellite GSAT-30 and Eutelsat Konnect – into geo-stationary transfer orbit with its heavy lift of Ariane 5 rocket. The 3,357 kg GSAT-30 was produced by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
  • The GSAT-30 will provide high-quality television, telecommunication and broadcasting services ensuring continuity of service for INSAT 4A satellite.
  • By operating GSAT-30, ISRO will – once again – use space to help bridge the digital divide in the Indian subcontinent as part of its ambitious space programme.
  • GSAT-30 has a unique configuration of providing flexible frequency segments and flexible coverage.
  • The satellite will provide communication services to Indian mainland and islands through Ku-band and wide coverage covering Gulf countries, a large number of Asian countries and Australia through C-band.
  • GSAT-30 will provide DTH Television Services, connectivity to VSATs for ATM, Stock-exchange, Television uplinking and Teleport Services, Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) and e-governance applications.
  • The satellite will also be used for bulk data transfer for a host of emerging telecommunication applications.
  • The GSAT-30 was the 24th ISRO satellite orbited by Ariane-series launchers.
Punjab Assembly passes Bill for water regulation authority
  • The Punjab Assembly passed unanimously the Punjab Water Resources (Management and Regulation) Bill, 2020, thus paving the way for the creation of Punjab Water Regulation and Development Authority to manage critical water resources in the border state.
  • The Chief Minister reiterated his government’s commitment to resolve the problem, which was particularly acute in southern Punjab districts like Muktsar Sahib, leading to large number of cancer cases.
  • The Chief Minister apprised the House that his government had already signed an agreement with Israeli company Mekorot for formulation of a master plan for the conservation and management of water resources.
IIM Indore partner with TikTok for dialogue series
  • Indian Institute of Management-Indore and Chinese short-video sharing application TikTok will jointly lead India-wide conversation and dialogue series on responsible leadership and how to make policy work better for people.
  • The focus of the partnership will remain on creating high quality first of a kind education module for top B-school students, mid-career senior management professionals, government officers, smart city CEOs, bureaucrats, family owned businesses and entrepreneurs to prepare them for management challenges of the future and digital disruption.
  • IIM-Indore and TikTok plan to host joint training and workshops on sharing good practices on using the internet safely and productively along with hackathons for government departments, law enforcement agencies, and the government scheme executing partners.
  • This will be further strengthened by the launch of several high level policy engagements and e-services delivery and problem solving workshops for key decision makers helping them harness the power of the Internet better.

JANUARY 18, 2020

Dr Krishnakanta Handique chosen for 2020 Bokulbon Award
  • Noted folk artiste Dr Krishnakanta Handique, has been selected for 2020 Bokulbon Award.
  • The award is given annually by the Bokulban Trust here in memory of noted poet late Ananda Chandra Baruah, who was popularly known as “BokulbanarKabi” and was also a former president of AsamSahitya Sabha.
  • The award carries a cash prize, a citation, a selengsador and a packet of books.
  • Dr Handique founded the well-known Bihu troupe named JhanjipariaBihudol which is a popular Bihu group across the state. Dr Handique has also authored several books on Assam’s folk art.
IAF enhances strike capabilities in Indian Ocean Region
  • The Indian Air Force is enhancing its strength there by inducting Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets armed with lethal Brahmos missile at its new squadron based in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur.
  • The presence of Su-30s in south Inaid will augment the Indian Navy”s strength and air strike capabilities of the Indian armed forces as a whole, as the Brahmos have been tried and successfully tested for anti-ship operations.
  • The Su-30 has a range of 1,200 km and with addition of 300 km range of the Brahmos, India can strike at locations deep inside the region.
  • The new squadron will initially have around five to six fighter jets but gradually it will operate with full strength of 18 aircraft. This will be the first fighter squadron to be set up by the Indian Air Force in its Southern Command.
  • The integration of Brahmos with Su-30 was fast tracked after the Balakot air strikes in 2019. Further strengthening of the armed forces’ firepower in the southern region will act as a move towards tri-service synergy
Bharti Foundation partner with Ericsson to set up Robotic Lab in Punjab
  • Bharti Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises, in partnership with Ericsson India launched “The Robotic Lab” at the Satya Bharti Senior Secondary School, Jhaneri, Punjab.
  • The state-of-the-art lab in the government school in Jhaneri will benefit the underprivileged students from Class IV to Class VIII and further stimulate their interest in science and technology.
  • The program curriculum aims to introduce these students to the world of digital technology by improving their general understanding as well as providing hands-on experience of programming and digital tools.
  • During the robotic classes, students will learn the basics of programming and develop the skill sets to create precise and accurate instructions.
  • The three-year partnership with Bharti Foundation aims to impart knowledge that inspires students to pursue a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
  • This program will provide knowledge in the areas of new technologies, coding, programming and robotics to name a few.

 

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JANUARY 19, 2020

 Two ministers inducted in Assam Cabinet
  • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal expanded his cabinet by including two more Ministers. Sanjay Kishan and Jogen Mohan were administered the oath of office and secrecy by state Governor JagdishMukhi at a ceremony at the Raj Bhavan”s Darbar Hall.
  • Sanjay Kishan is a lawmaker from Tinsukia, while Jogen Mohan was elected to the Assembly from Mahmora. They were both inducted as Ministers of State with independent charge.
  • With this, the strength of the Sonowal government has risen to 18 including the Chief Minister.The two vacancies were created after Topon Kumar Gogoi and Pallab Lochan Das resigned following their victory in the Lok Sabha elections last year.
Assam Govt has identified 4 sites for solid waste management
  • The State government has identified four sites for setting up of the integrated solid waste management facility (ISWMF) for the Guwahati Capital Region and possession of all these sites have been handed over to the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC).
  • The State Biodiversity Board is going to undertake a feasibility study for clearing and cleaning the legacy waste at the Boragaon solid waste dumping site.
  • It has been decided that the clearing and cleaning of waste from the dumping site will be conducted in a pattern similar to that of the Neel Khas near the Yamuna Diversity Park, Noida.
  • The four ISWMF sites include
  • a 40-bigha plot of land located on the Old Chandrapur Thermal Power Station campus of the Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd (APGCL).
  • A 27-bigha plot covered by dag no.32 in the Tamulikuchi NC under SonapurMouza of Sonapur Revenue Circle, Kamrup (Metro) district
  • A 20-bigha, 1-katha, 19-lessa plot of land covered by dag no.33 at Odalbakra under BeltolaMouza of Dispur Revenue Circle, Kamrup (Metro) district
  • And a 37-bigha, 3-katha, 5-lessa plot of land covered by dag no.139 at Basistha under BeltolaMouza of Dispur Revenue Circle, Kamrup (Metro) district.
Andhra Assembly passes three-capital Bill
  • Andhra Pradesh Assembly passed a Bill to develop three capitals with Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy assuring justice to Amaravati farmers.
  • The Assembly passed by a voice vote Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill 2020 to develop Visakhapatnam and Kurnool as the capitals in addition to Amaravati.
  • Capital Region Development Authority Repeal Bill 2020 was also passed to repeal the CRDA Act passed in 2015 to develop Amaravati as the state capital.
  • The House also passed a resolution for development of three state capitals. According to the resolution, the move is aimed at decentralisation of governance and for ensuring inclusive development of all regions.

JANUARY 20, 2020

 Three new frog species discovered in Arunachal Pradesh
  • Three new species of small frogs have been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Subansiri district by scientists of Zoological Survey of India.
  • The new species discovered from Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) have been named as ‘Liurana himalayana’, ‘Liurana indica’ and ‘Liurana minuta’. The frogs are so small in size that one can sit on a coin.
  • A study has been published in a science journal, the Records of the Zoological Survey of India’, which confirmed that the species are new discoveries.
Vice President calls for national movement to promote all Indian languages
  • Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu called for a national movement to promote all Indian languages, he said that promotion and protection of ancient Indian languages is the need of the hour as they offer a window to our ancient civilisational values, knowledge and wisdom.
  • Speaking at the Central Institute of Classical Tamil (CICT), the vice president called for according a sense of dignity and pride to those who speak, write and communicate in Indian languages.
  • He also urged people to use their mother tongue at home, in the community, in meetings and in administration.
  • The vice president commended CICT for translating the ‘Thirukkural’ into all Indian languages and also in some foreign languages.
  • He further called for translation of ancient and popular Tamil texts into Indian and foreign languages for the wider benefit of humanity.
  • The vice president also visited the International Institute of Tamil Studies, and saw the cultural centre with the permanent exhibition set up to recreate the history of Tamils that has been uncovered through research spread over the decades.
World Economic Forum & TikTok launch diversity campaign
  • In collaboration with World Economic Forum (WEF), Chinese short-video sharing application TikTok launched the #AllTheDifference challenge to promote inclusion in diversity ahead of the Davos summit that will discuss inclusive societies.
  • From January 21 to 27, TikTok users in over 75 global markets are encouraged to celebrate inclusion and diversity by joining the #AllTheDifference challenge.
  • A special “I say” sticker is available on the app to help TikTok users express themselves.
  • The WEF will be held in Davos, Switzerland, from January 21 to 24. The event brings together 3,000 global leaders.
  • The theme of this year”s meet is ”Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World”.
Bengaluru hosts ‘RevHack 2020’ first Indian language based hackathon
  • The Silicon Valley of India – Bengaluru hosted RevHack 2020 – first Indian language based hackathon. Around 200 participants battled it out to build solutions to drive – Language Equality on the Indian Internet.
  • The hackathon was organised by Reverie Language Technologies and NASSCOM.
  • The main objective of the event was to build an ecosystem to drive language equality on the Indian Internet space

 

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JANUARY 21, 2020

Jonbeel Mela begins in Jagiroad District
  • The historic Jonbeel Mela began at Jonbeel Pathar in Jagiroad of Assam.
  • Jonbeel Mela is a community fair held on the weekend of ‘Magh Bihu’ at a historic place known as Dayang Belguri at Jonbeel.
  • The ceremonial ‘king’of Gova Kingdom Gova Tiwa Deo-raja-Deepsing along with his court members namely Barbarua, Senapati, Deka-Doloi, Arandhara, Bordoloi, Khatoniar and others assembled at the Mela site to attend a community feast which was also joined by a host of leading personalities .
  • Nearly 3,000 people from Karbi Anglong and Meghalaya have assembled at the Jonbeel Pathar. The people will ‘barter’ their essential items at the Mela site, followed by ‘community fishing’ at Jonbeel.
Su-30 MKI squadron inducted in Thanjavur base
  • The Indian Air Force (IAF) has commissioned the 222 squadron, also known as ”Tigersharks”, for their Thanjavur base.
  • The squadron has six Sukhoi-30 specially modified fighter jets, each carrying 2.5 tonne air-launched supersonic BrahMos cruise missile.
  • The squadron based in Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu will keep a check on increase in Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean region.
  • It will also augment Indian Navy”s strength and air strike capabilities of the military as a whole.
  • The squadron will be operating closely with the Indian Army and Navy to get the ball rolling in jointness of the Indian armedfforcesThe squadron will be operating closely with the Indian Army and Navy to get the ball rolling in jointness of the Indian armedf forces.
  • The Su-30 has a range of 1,200 km, with addition of 300 km in range of the Brahmos. It can strike at locations deep inside the Indian Ocean region.
  • The decision to choose Thanjavur as the base for the induction of the Su-30 MKI squadron was made because of its strategic location.
  • The induction ceremony culminated with a flying display by Light Combat Aircraft, Sarang Helicopter Display Team and Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team.
Haryana passes Constitutional Amendment to extend reservations
  • The Haryana Assembly unanimously passed a motion to ratify the 126th Constitutional Amendment to extend reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Punjab for another 10 years.
  • Moving a motion in the House, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said now the Rajya Sabha secretariat “is to be apprised with the ratification” made in this regard.
  • Haryana Governor SatyadeoNarain Arya said the special session was convened to ratify the amendments to the Constitution.
Odisha CM Patnaik launches online property tax module
  • Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched an online module to facilitate payment of property tax.
  • Patnaik also launched an initiative – Municipal Premier League (MPL) – in order to facilitate urban local bodies to enhance their revenue collection.
  • The name MPL has been inspired from the Indian Premier League (IPL), and its main objective is to motivate tax officials, recognise their efforts and improve internal revenue generation.
  • This is an idea of conducting competition among tax collecting officials of nine urban local bodies (ULBs), five municipal corporations and four municipalities, where the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) is being implemented.
  • Awards will be given to top five tax officials in different categories.
  • The online property tax module will help people in urban areas. The payment can be done through credit card, debit card, net banking and e wallets.

 

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Assam Current Affairs – January 08 – 14, 2020

Posted on by admin 
Current Affairs Assam – January 08 - 14, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of January 08 – 14, 2020 )

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JANUARY 08, 2020

IIT Guwahati featured in ‘Top 50 young universities in Chemistry’ in 2019
  • Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has featured in the ‘Top 50 young universities in Chemistry’ in 2019, according to Nature Index.
  • IIT Guwahati is in the 20th position with 17.30 as the Fractional Count 2018 and 19 Article Count 2018 in the subject.
  • As per the index, the output share from chemistry was the highest with 22.08 followed by physical sciences at 8.62 and life sciences at 0.39.
  • IIT Guwahati is the only IIT to be featured in this list which also includes a total of eight institutes from India.
  • 13 from China, six from Australia, five from South Korea, three from Germany, two each from France, Spain and the United states, and one each from Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and Switzerland.
IISc, Canadian varsity to research for water security
  • The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Canada-based University of Saskatchewan”s Global Institute for Water Security will jointly conduct a research for water security.
  • Signed a five-year agreement with the Canadian institute to partner on joint research, training and academic exchanges related to water security, climate science and policy issues.
  • University of Saskatchewan (USask) President Peter Stoicheff and IISc in-charge Registrar Indumati Srinivasan signed the agreement for collaboration in the research projects.
  • USask topped in water resources research in 2019, while the state-run IISc ranked number 1 in India for post-graduate research.
  • Both institutes have national and global network of scientists, policy makers, business leaders and practitioners to collaborate in the joint research projects.
  • As part of the partnership, the institutes will provide access to their research facilities and pursue bi-lateral and/or global funding opportunities.
  • Both the institutes will also explore short and long-term exchanges of faculty members and qualified personnel, including graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and scientists.
  • USask”s institute is a global leader in water science for cold regions and home to the global water futures programme, the world”s largest freshwater research project.
  • The joint research goal is to transform the way communities, governments and industries in Canada and other cold regions the world over prepare for and manage increasing water-related threats.
Infosys Science Prize 2019 for six researchers
  • Infosys Science Foundation awarded six winners with the Infosys Science Prize 2019 for research and academic excellence, in the fields of engineering and computer science, humanities, life sciences, mathematical sciences, physical sciences and social sciences.
  • Amartya Sen, the 1998 economics Nobel laureate and Harvard University economics and philosophy professor, felicitated the winners with a citation, gold medal and a purse of $1 lakh (Rs 72 lakh).
  • The winners are Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, Professor G. Mugesh, Indian Institute of Technology – Bombay (IIT-Bombay) Computer Science and Engineering chair professor Sunita Sarawagi and IIT-Mandi School of Humanities and Social Sciences Assistant Professor Manu V. Devadevan.
  • Other winners include Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology”s (CCMB) Chief Scientist Manjula Reddy, Professor Siddhartha Mishra at Swiss University ETH Zurich in mathematical sciences and Anand Pandian, Anthropology professor at Baltimore”s John Hopkins University.
  • The winners were zeroed in on from a pool of 200 nominations by a jury of eminent international academicians.
  • Set up in 2009 as a not-for-profit organisation by Infosys co-founders N.R. Narayana Murthy, Nanda Nilekani, S. Gopalakrishnan, S.D. Shibulal and Dinesh, the foundation promotes interest in science and research in the country.

FACTFILE – Infosys Prize

  • The Infosys Prize is an annual award given to scientists, researchers, engineers and social scientists of Indian Origin by the Infosys Science Foundation and ranks among the highest monetary awards in India to recognize research.
  • The prize for each category includes a gold medallion, a citation certificate, and prize money of US$100,000 (or its equivalent in Indian Rupees). The prize purse is tax free in the hands of winners in India.
  • In 2008, the prize was jointly awarded by the Infosys Science Foundation and National Institute of Advanced Studies for mathematics. The following year, three additional categories were added: Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences. In 2010, Engineering and Computer Science was added as a category. In 2012, a sixth category, Humanities, was added.

JANUARY 09, 2020

Gaan Ngai Festival begins in Manipur
  • Gaan Ngai, the biggest post-harvest festival of the Zeliangrong tribes of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, got under way in the Zeliangrong-dominated areas of Manipur and the North East region today. On the occasion, a sacred fire was made to purify the entire community and a colourful dance was performed by troupes representing numerous Zeliangrong communities.
  • The formal inauguration of the festival in Manipur, heralding the arrival of the New Year, was marked by an invocation to god, congregational prayers and dance performances.
  • The Gaan Ngai Festival is also celebrated across 85 Kabui villages in the valley areas.
  • The Gaan-Ngai Festival was declared a restricted holiday in 1976 and it was upgraded to a public holiday on January 10, 1998 when W Nipamacha was the Chief Minister.

FACTFILE – Gaan-Ngai

  • Gaan-Ngai is a festival of the Zeliangrong people of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. It is the biggest festival out of many festivals observed throughout the indigenous calendar of Rongmei Naga/Kabui tribe.
  • It is also a post harvest festival, mainly performed by the followers and devotees of Zeliangrong Indigenous religion of ‘Poupei Chapriak’ and ‘Heraka’ cults.
  • Gaan-Ngai is traditionally celebrated in the month of “Gaan-Bu” of the indigenous calendar of the Rongmei Naga tribe which typically falls in the Gregorian month of November or December.
  • Gaan-Ngai is celebrated in Assam as per the date fixed using the indigenous Rongmei Naga Calendar with the said festival having status of Restricted Holiday in Assam. While in Manipur, Gaan-Ngai is celebrated in the 13th day of the Manipuri month of “Wakching” of Meetei Manipuri Calendar with the festival being a State holiday in Manipur.
  • Gaan-Ngai has also been recognized as the Tourist Festival of India by the Govt of India
Govt proposes investor-friendly changes in model concession agreement for highways
  • Seeking to revive private investment in the roads sector, the Centre has proposed investor-friendly changes in the model concession agreement (MCA) for Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) highway projects.
  • The changes are aimed at putting in place a progressive dispute resolution mechanism, mutual foreclosure agreement and harmonious substitution of the concessionaire.
  • The availability of credit was a much bigger issue for the sector and revival of BOT (Toll) projects may take upto nine months.
  • National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has invited suggestions from various stakeholders such as bankers, contractors, consultants and industry bodies on the proposed amendment.
  • The amendments have been proposed after deliberations with Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRT&H), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and NitiAayog.
  • The major modifications proposed in the MCA are related to capping of liabilities of either party throughout the subsistence of the agreement, tightening of conditions precedent prior to declaration of appointed date and dispute resolution.
Union Cabinet approves ratification of Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement between India and France
  • The Union Cabinet gave its approval for the ratification of Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement between India and France.
  • The agreement, which was signed in March 2018 during the state visit of the French President to India, represents a major milestone in enhancing people-to-people contacts, fostering mobility of students, academics, researchers and skilled professionals and strengthening cooperation on issues related to irregular migration and human trafficking between the two sides.
  • It is a testimony to India”s rapidly expanding multi-faceted relationship with France and symbolises the increasing trust and confidence between the two sides.
  • The agreement is initially valid for a period of seven years and incorporates provision for automatic renewal and a monitoring mechanism through a joint working group.

Union Govt approved to divest equity shares of six PSUs, including MMTC and Odisha Mining Corporation

  • The Cabinet approved a proposal to divest equity shares of six PSUs, including MMTC and Odisha Mining Corporation in NeelachalIspat Ltd.
  • The Cabinet has approved divestment of some shares of six companies held in NeelachalIspat.
  • Cabinet has allowed NeelachalIspat stakeholders to sell shares.
  • The six PSUs are MMTC, National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd (BHEL), Odisha Mining Corporation, Odisha Investment Corporation and MECON.
  • The minister further said MMTC will sell 49 per cent in NeelachalIspat, while that of Odisha Mining Corporation 20 per cent, Odisha Investment Corporation 12 per cent, NMDC 10 per cent.
  • MMTC, a trading firm under the Union ministry of commerce and industry, is the largest stakeholder in NINL with equity of 49.9 percent.

 

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JANUARY 10, 2020

Union Cabinet clears North East Gas Grid project
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has cleared the North East Gas Grid project of Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited, for supply of piped cooking gas and compressed natural gas (CNG) for transportation in the northeastern states have been cleared
  • A CCEA meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the project with viability gap funding (VGF) at 60 per cent of the estimated cost of Rs 9,265 crore, including interest during construction.
  • The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) shall identify milestones for major activities for this project and link the same for release of capital grant of the project.
  • The pipeline will enable the supply of piped cooking gas to households and CNG to automobiles, besides fuel to industries. However, in the absence of anchor customers, the Rs 9,265-crore project was not economically viable.
  • For effective monitoring of the project implementation, a committee comprising officials from the MoPNG, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of DoNER, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Department of Fertilizers may be formed, which would periodically review the progress in implementation of the project and take steps to smooth out any issues in execution.
  • According to the plan, the gas pipeline grid would be developed in the eight states of the Northeast. The 1,656-km North-East Natural Gas Pipeline Grid will connect Guwahati to major cities in the region, including Itanagar, Dimapur, Kohima, Imphal, Aizwal, Agartala, Shillong, Silchar, Gangtok and Numaligarh.
  • The pipeline grid will be implemented by Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited, a joint venture of state-owned GAIL India, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, Oil India Limited and Numaligarh Refinery Limited.
  • The consortium had pitched for a 60 per cent funding support from the government and would raise the rest via equity and debt. Without government support, the pipeline will not be viable, added Pradhan.
  • The project will also boost exploration and production activities in the Northeast and connect regional gas sources with a pipeline network for early monetisation of natural resources in the region.
Government approves formal structure of Department of Military Affairs
  • The government approved a formal structure of the newly-created Department of Military Affairs.
  • The Department of Military Affairs will be two joint secretaries, 13 deputy secretaries and 22 under-secretaries who will assist the Chief of Defence Staff to carry out his responsibilities.
  • The CDS will push the three services to truly integrate in planning, procurements, logistics, doctrines and training.
  • The CDS provides single-point military advice to the government as well as function as the military advisor to the Prime Minister-led Nuclear Command Authority.
  • Though the three service chiefs will retain full operational control over their forces, the CDS will clearly be the “first among equals” in the hierarchy.
  • The Department of Military Affairs will be the fifth department in the Ministry of Defence. The existing ones are the Department of Defence, the Department of Defence Production, the Department of Defence Research and Development and the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare.
  • The Department of Military Affairs deals with the armed forces, the integrated headquarters of the Ministry of Defence, comprising the Army, Naval and Air and defence staff headquarters and the Territorial Army.
Union Communications, Electronics and IT Minister inaugurated the submarine optical fibre cable laying
  • Union Communications, Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad inaugurated the submarine optical fibre cable laying work between Chennai and Anadaman and Nicobar Islands.
  • The project will connect Port Blair along with seven other islands of Andaman & Nicobar viz Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Great Nicobar, Havelock, Long Island and Rangat.
  • Total length of the submarine cable project is 2,250 km and will have four fibre pairs.
  • Each fibre pair has the ultimate capacity of 6.4 Tbps with very low latency.
  • At present, the combined availability for Andaman & Nicobar Islands is only 3.2 Gbps.
  • At the initial stage of commissioning the project itself, bandwidth availability will be 400 Gbps which is nearly 100 times of the existing capacity.
  • Presently the Andaman & Nicobar islands are connected to the mainland through satellite link with limited bandwidth capacity with high latency.

JANUARY 11, 2020

3rd Khelo India Youth Games stated in Assam
  • The 3rd edition of the Khelo India Youth Games is inaugurated at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Sarusajai here.
  • The 20-discipline Games will be held in eight different venues where 6,800 athletes from across 37 states and union territories will compete.
  • State-of-the-art infrastructure have been set up for the Games in different venues and host Assam is fully geared up to conduct the multi-sport event.

FACTFILE – Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG)

  • Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) held annually in January or February, are the national level multidisciplinary grassroot games in India held for two categories, namely under-17 years school students and under-21 college students.
  • Every year best 1000 kids will be given an annual scholarship of ₹5 lakh for 8 years to prepare them for the international sporting events.
  • On 31 January 2018, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, declared open the inaugural Khelo India School Games. From the 2019 events, Khelo India School Games were renamed to Khelo India Youth Games.
  • The second edition of the event was kicked off in Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, a sports complex situated in Balewadi, Pune.
Light Combat Aircraft lands on INS Vikramaditya
  • The indigenously designed and developed Light Combat Aircraft (N) Mk1 has made a successful arrested landing on the India”s biggest warship INS Vikramaditya.
  • With this feat, the indigenously developed niche technologies specific to deck based fighter operations have been proven.
  • This will now pave the way to develop and manufacture the twin engine deck based fighter for the Indian Navy.
  • The DRDO in a statement said that after completing extensive trials on the shore based test facility of DRDO”s Aeronautical Development Agency, developed the LCA Navy.
Union Home Minister inaugurated the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre
  • Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and also the dedicated National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to the nation, a citizen-centric initiative that will enable citizens to report cybercrimes online.
  • This state-of-the-art Centre is located in New Delhi.The scheme to set up I4C was approved in October 2018 at an estimated cost of Rs 415.86 crore to deal with all types of cybercrimes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner.
  • It has seven components — a national cyber crime threat analytics unit, a national cyber crime reporting portal, a national cyber crime training centre, a cyber crime ecosystem management unit, a national cyber crime research and innovation centre, a national cyber crime forensic laboratory ecosystem and platform for joint cyber crime investigation team.
  • National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) is a citizen-centric initiative that will enable citizens to report cyber crimes online through the portal.
  • All the cyber crime related complaints will be accessed by the concerned law enforcement agencies in the states and UTs for taking action as per law.
  • So far, more than 700 police districts and more than 3,900 police stations have been connected with this portal.

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JANUARY 12, 2020

Bumrah becomes India’s highest wicket-taker in T20s
  • Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah became India’s highest wicket-taker in the T20 Internationals after he dismissed Sri Lankan opener Danushka Gunathilaka in third and final T20 series against Sri Lanka.
  • Bumrah has now 53 T20 wickets to his name from 45 T20 internationals. Wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (52 wickets from 37 matches) and ace off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (52 wickets from 46 matches) are the joint second highest on the list.
  • Bumrah, who was injured, returned to international cricket from the ongoing series against Sri Lanka.
National Youth Festival 2020 inaugurated at Lucknow
  • The 23rd National Youth Festival 2020 is inaugurated on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda at Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh on 12th Jan 2020.
  • The National Youth Festival 2020 is jointly organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the State Government of Uttar Pradesh.
  • The NYF is organised with an objective to provide a platform to the youth of the country and provide them with an opportunity to showcase their talents in various activities.
  • The government has been organising NYF since 1995.
  • It is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India in collaboration with one of the State Governments annually. It is held in a different state each year during National Youth Week, 12 to 16 January every year.
  • The birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda (12th Jan) is celebrated as National Youth Day and the week commencing from that day is known as the National Youth Week.
PM Modi opens light & sound show at Howrah Bridge
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated an interactive light and sound show at the iconic Howrah Bridge – Rabindra Setu – through a glittering programme held in the picturesque Millenium Park on the banks of the Hooghly.
  • The 150-second show and sound is part of the various initiatives taken to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Kolkata Port Trust.
  • The British era Howrah Bridge, which serves as a crucial gateway to the city, ferrying one lakh-plus vehicles and over 1.5 lakh pedestrians daily, was thrown open to the public on February 3, 1943, replacing a pontoon bridge linking Kolkata and Howrah.
  • The cantilever bridge, where not a single nut or bolt was used, is now the sixth largest bridge of its kind in the globe.
India, China agree to set up a military hotline
  • In an effort to keep peace and tranquillity along the borders, India and China have agreed to set up a military hotline between Indian Army”s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) and Western Theatre Command (WTC) of the Chinese People”s Liberation Army.
  • The proposal for the hotline has been accepted by both sides after all procedural issues were resolved.
  • Both sides see hotlines as a necessity for better interaction between their armies and to defuse tensions caused by differing perceptions of the Line of Actual Control.
  • Both borders, including Northern and Western, are equally significant and stressed that the advanced weapons systems are being deployed and infrastructure improved along the Chinese border.

JANUARY 13, 2020

Free education support system for Assam, NE students
  • Vectors Academy has started a unique initiative named #LetsTeamUp in a bid to build an education support system for the students of Assam and the North East aspiring to crack national-level competitive exams like IIT-JEE or NEET (AIIMS) without bearing any cost.
  • A mobile app – FAST Vectors – has already been launched where students can directly communicate with mentors and clarify their study-related questions and concerns.
  • Science students can also avail course material, previous years’ questions and online mock tests of all leading competitive tests completely free of cost.
India to acquire 200 fighter jets for Air Force
  • Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar has said, the government is in the process of acquiring around 200 aircraft to cope with the depleting aerial inventories of the Indian Air Force.
  • On the sidelines of commissioning Indian Coast Guard vessels in Kolkata, he said, the contract for HAL-manufactured 83 LCA Tejas Mark 1 A advanced fighter jets are in the final stages.
  • Expression of Interest has been floated for another 110 aircraft, based on which Request for Proposal will be floated. He said that roughly for 200 aircraft, the acquisition is in process
  • The Air Force has Sukhoi 30 MKIs, Mirage 2000s, Mig 29s and the ageing Jaguars and Mig 21 Bisons in its inventory of fighter jets at present.
  • The last fleet of seven swing-wing MiG-27 fighters, which played an important role during the 1999 Kargil war, was decommissioned on December 27.
India’s First Cyber Crime Prevention Unit launched
  • Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated country’s first Cyber Crime Prevention Unit called the “Cyber AASHVAST” in Gandhinagar.
  • Along with AASHVAST, the Video Integration and State Wide Advance Security project called VISWAS was also launched for preventing crimes in the state.
  • The Cyber AASHVAST is a unit that will act to prevent cyber crimes with the help of VISWAS and NETRANG. It will own an exclusive online portal that will have dedicated service helpline for victims of cyber-crimes.
  • The AASHVAST will also monitor, prevent and control cyber-crimes in the state. Along with AASHVAST and VISWAS, Project NETRANG was also launched. It will establish command and control rooms in 33 districts of Gujarat.
  • In India the cyber-crimes have almost doubled between 2016 and 2017 according to NCRB. Therefore, GoI is taking many measures to bring them under control.
  • The projects aims to meet the challenges of Cyber-crime include:
  • Project VISWAS: Video Integration and StateWide Advance Security.
  • ‘Netrang’ project to establish Command and Control Room in 33 districts.
  • AASHVAST to pay E Challan online and provide Cyber Crime Prevention which will have a dedicated service helpline for victims of cyber crimes.
  • Six different postal memory cards were released by the Minister depicting various folk dances of Gujarat.

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JANUARY 14, 2020

Dibrugarh honoured with Plastic Waste Management Award
  • Dibrugarh district was awarded the Plastic Waste Management Award -2020 for being the best district of India in plastic waste management category during Swachhta Hi Sewa 2019.
  • Pallav Gopal Jha, Deputy Commissioner, Dibrugarh received the award from renowned Bollywood actor Amir Khan at a function held at Pride Plaza.
  • The function was organised by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India.
  • Swachhta hi Seva 2019, a massive nationwide awareness and mobilisation campaign on Swachhta, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Mathura on September 11, 2019.
  • Massive awareness and mobilisation programmes were organised in Dibrugarh district to generate awareness on single use plastic waste collection, segregation and effective disposal under the Swachh Bharat Mission-G (SBM).
  • The campaign in the district was a joint initiative of the District Water & Sanitation Committee, Dibrugarh administration and the PHED.
Jarprit Bumrah set to receive Polly Umrigar Top BCCI Award
  • India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will receive the prestigious Polly Umrigar Award for his exploits in international cricket in the 2018-19 season.
  • The world’s leading pacer will be honoured during the BCCI Annual Awards here on Sunday. The World’s No. 1 ODI bowler made his Test debut during India’s tour of South Africa in January 2018 and hasn’t looked back since.
  • He picked up a five-wicket haul in South Africa, England, Australia and the West Indies becoming the first and only Asian bowler to achieve the feat. He played a stellar role in the historic 2-1 Test series win in Australia, India’s first Down Under.
  • While Bumrah nets the biggest prize in the men’s category, Poonam Yadav will claim the top prize in women’s section and will be awarded the best international cricketer.
  • Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Anjum Chopra will be presented with the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award and the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award for women respectively.
Raisina Dialogue to begin from 14th January
  • India’s flagship global conference on geopolitics and geo-economics Raisina Dialogue will begin from 14th Jan 2020 in New Delhi.
  • This will be the fifth edition of the prestigious Raisina Dialogue. The Dialogue is being jointly organized by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation.
  • 12 Foreign Ministers will participate in the 3-day conference including from Russia, Iran, Australia, Maldives, South Africa, Denmark, Uzbekistan and the EU.
  • The Dialogue was initiated in 2016 and involves a variety of global policymakers including heads of state, cabinet ministers and local government officials.
  • It is designed on the lines of Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue. The name “Raisina Dialogue” comes from Raisina Hill, an elevation in New Delhi, Rashtrapati Bhavan.
IOCL launches new fuel exclusively for Indian Navy warships
  • The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) launched a new fuel known as High Flash High Speed Diesel (HFHSD – IN 512) exclusively for Indian Navy warships.
  • The new fuel will enable India to ensure interoperability amongst foreign Navies during fleet exercises and provide fuel of quality better than that mandated to all foreign Navies under bilateral and multi-national logistics support pacts, including Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA).
  • The Indian Navy had collaborated with IOCL to carry out an extensive and thorough study and a comparative evaluation of existing international regulations like International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
  • IOCL, post the upgradation of the refinery units, initiated a limited supply of the product to Indian Navy platforms following which rigorous machinery performance checks and acceptance trials were carried out.
  • The deal for fuel quality standards revision was inked to keep pace with induction of new technology equipment and meet contemporary emission standards.

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Assam Current Affairs – January 01 – 07, 2020

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Current Affairs Assam – January 1 - 7, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of January 1 – 7, 2020 )

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JANUARY 01, 2020

US varsity honours human rights activist Dibyajyoti Saikia from Assam
  • Human rights activist from Assam Dibyajyoti Saikia has been conferred honorary doctorate degree by the California Public University, USA for his invaluable services in the field of human rights, social harmony and community welfare.
  • Saikia received the Doctor of Humanities (D Hum) honour at a special programme organised in Tamil Nadu, where a number of other eminent personalities from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Dubai were given honorary doctorate.
  • Saikia, who has been actively involved in anti witch-hunting campaigns throughout the State and also in several parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and Bihar, has two decades of experience in the field of social work.
  • Apart from working in the field of eradication of superstition in the rural pockets of Assam, he has also worked to foster communal harmony.
  • Saikia has received a number of other awards and honours including Babu Jagjivan Ram Award, Maulana Azad National Award and Bhupen Hazarika Peace Award.
Assam Govt announced financial grant to indigenous literary bodies
  • The State government announced financial grant for indigenous Sahitya Sabhas (literary bodies) of Assam, including Asam Sahitya Sabha and Bodo Sahitya Sabha.
  • The State government would provide Rs 10 crore to the corpus fund of Asam Sahitya Sabha, Rs 5 crore to Bodo Sahitya Sabha and Rs 3 crore each to the other indigenous Sahitya Sabhas as one-time grant.
  • Accordingly, the Asam Sahitya Sabha would be able to derive an amount of Rs 80 lakh annually as interest from the corpus fund, while the Bodo Sahitya Sabha would receive Rs 40 lakh and other indigenous Sahitya Sabhas would get Rs 24 lakh each annually.
  • The Chief Minister also announced that the State government would provide a one-time financial grant of Rs 50,000 each to one thousand new writers belonging to various communities of the State under the ‘Bhasha Gaurav’ scheme which was a budget announcement.
  • CM Sonowal hoped that the scheme would be able to inspire young generation writers to engage in literary works in different indigenous languages of the State.
  • The Chief Minister also urged the indigenous literary bodies to put emphasis on research works for preservation and promotion of indigenous language and culture, and assured all help from the State government in this regard.

FACTFILE – ‘Bhasha Gaurav Achoni’

  • On September 07, 2019, Assam CM Sarbanand Sonwal announced that under the ‘Bhasha Gaurav Achoni’, under which 1000 new generation authors will be provided one-time financial grant of Rs 50,000 each for promotion of various languages of Assam.Various ‘Sahitya Sabhas’ will select the authors for the scheme.
General Bipin Rawat takes charge as first ‘Chief of Defence Staff’
  • Former Army Chief BipinRawat, took charge as the first Chief of Defence Staff. General Rawat, who demitted office on retirement as Chief of Indian Army received the guard of honour from all the three forces.
  • Besides Rawat, Army Chief Manoj MukundNaravane, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria and Navy Chief Karambir Singh and other senior officers were also present during the guard of honour.
  • General Rawat said, “All the three services will work as a team. As per the task given to the Chief of Defence Staff, we have to enhance integration and do better resource management.”
New Indo-Bangla river route opened through Dhubri District
  • In a bid to boost trade between Bangladesh and India, the Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh Tanvir Mansur formally opened a river route between India and Bangladesh by flagging of a commercial cargo service between the two countries in Dhubri.
  • The Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh said that Indo-Bangla trade has increased manifold in the wake of improving relations between the countries and the new route is likely to give a fresh impetus to bilateral trade.
  • On July this year the first cargo vessel from Dhubri to Bangladesh was introduced.
JANUARY 02, 2020
Assam tourism lost Rs 500 crore due to anti-CAA stir
  • State tourism sector has lost an estimated revenue of Rs 500 crore due to the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act during the peak tourist season from December to March.
  • Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) chairman Jayanta Malla Baruah said when the tourism industry of the State was witnessing a surge in tourist footfall, the violent protest dealt a blow, resulting in trip cancellations and an expected 30 per cent fall in the annual tourist inflow.
  • Also, with the negative travel advisories issued by a dozen countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Australia, France, Russia and Israel, the brand value of Assam tourism received a major setback that would take a long time to recover.
  • The period from December to March is the peak tourist season for Assam. However, as the violent protests erupted in different corners of the State, including the capital city, a number of sectors, including tour operators, hoteliers, tour guides, transport services to name a few, have been badly hit.
  • As a damage control exercise, the ATDC has entered into a tie-up with Google for a digital campaign that would help in image building for the State tourism sector through small promotional videos on YouTube and Facebook, besides pushing promotional contents in the Google search engine.
  • The State tourism department that has been running several campaigns to woo foreign tourists is also apprehensive about the duration it will take for withdrawal of negative travel advisories to foreign tourists.
4 IAF pilots selected for India’s manned space mission
  • Four ace pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were selected for India’s maiden manned mission Gaganyaan around the earth’s orbit by 2022.
  • Three of them will go into space to orbit around the earth for a week and conduct experiments in micro-gravity and bio-science.
  • The quartet will undergo training in Russia from the third week of this month for becoming the first Indian crew to go into space from native soil.
  • The four pilots have undergone medical tests at the Indian Aviation Medicine of the IAF in Bengaluru and in Russia at the space agency which will train them in all aspects of a manned mission in outer space.
RBI launches mobile app MANI for visually impaired
  • The Reserve Bank of India launched a unique mobile application for aiding visually impaired persons to identify the denomination of Indian bank notes.
  • The application Mobile Aided Note Identifier was launched by RBI Governor.
  • At present, Indian bank notes contain several features which enable the visually impaired to identify them, viz., intaglio printing and tactile mark, variable bank note size, large numerals, variable colour, monochromatic hues and patterns.
  • The mobile app is capable of identifying the denominations of “Mahatma Gandhi Series and Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series” bank notes by checking “front or reverse side or part of the note including half folded notes at various holding angles and broad range of light conditions”.
  • Feature-wise, the app is capable of identifying the denomination through audio notification in either Hindi or English and non-sonic mode such as vibration.
  • Besides, it can be navigated via voice controls. After installation, the mobile application does not require internet and works in offline mode.
PM Modi dedicates 5 DRDO Young Scientists Labs to nation
  • As part of the ongoing efforts to boost indigeneous research capabilities in the country”s defence sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicate five DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories to the nation.
  • The Prime Minister unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion at the Aeronautical Development Establishment in Bengaluru during his two-day visit to Karnataka.
  • The Prime Minister also viewed DRDO innovations on show in an exhibition at the event.
  • This event comes in the backdrop of Prime Minister”s proposal in 2104 to identify at least five DRDO labs for innovation by young scientists aged under 35 years.
  • Giving away the DRDO awards in 2014, Modi had also called for facilitating greater involvement of youth in defence research related activities so that India remained abreast of global technological advancements in the field.

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JANUARY 03, 2020
‘Kayakalp’ certification to Down Town Hospital
  • Guwahati’s Down Town Hospital has been rewarded with the ‘Kayakalp’ certification for the year 2019-20 in recognition for its efforts towards excellence in promoting cleanliness, hygiene and infection control in the hospital and contributing to improved quality of care to the patients, said a press statement.
  • The assessment was conducted by a team of auditors with expertise in their respective fields from various parts of the country.

Kayakalp is an initiative launched by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and aims to promote and maintain sanitation and hygiene in healthcare facilities.

Wipro, HAL tie up to make aerospace components
  • Software major Wipro’s Infrastructure and Engineering arm and aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) tied up to jointly design, develop and manufacture aerospace components using metal additive technology (3D printing).
  • The agreement will enable the partners to develop, prove and apply new material in the production of aerospace applications, including Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO).
  • The joint initiative will make manufacturing and certification of aerospace components feasible using metal 3D printing.
  • The 3D printing is a new age manufacturing technique, which uses solid material such as plastic or metal as ink to print or manufacture the desired object layer by layer, also called additive printing.
  • Desired product images with exact dimensions are fed into a computer to 3D print required specimens using the molten ink, which later solidifies.
  • Wipro 3D metal additive facility offers layered metal printing consulting, design, production and research and development services.
  • HAL designs, develops, manufactures and supplies aircraft, helicopters, aerospace equipment, engines and accessories.
IIT Hyderabad set to help Telangana govt carry out research on AI
  • The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) is going to collaborate with the Government of Telangana to carry out research in Artificial Intelligence.
  • The Institute is partnering with the Information Technology, Electronics and Communication Department, for building, and identifying quality datasets, along with third parties such as Industry.
  • The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Prof B S Murty, director, IIT Hyderabad, and JayeshRanjan, principal secretary to Government of Telangana, during an event.
  • They will also work on Education and Training to prepare and deliver content and curriculum on AI courses, which are to be delivered to college students along with industry participants.

JANUARY 04, 2020

Assam Govt to start State-wide vaccination drive against Japanese Encephalitis
  • The State government will start an adult vaccination drive to prevent spread of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in Assam from the January 2020 end.
  • The step to start the vaccination drive has been taken by the government after JE and acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) took a disastrous form last year across the State.
  • I n the preliminary stage the vaccination drive is likely to start from Goalpara district, to be followed by South Salmara and Kokrajhar.
  • The health department will use Jenvac vaccine during the drive. Jenvac is a locally produced JE vaccine available in India.

FACTFILE – Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) In Assam

  • In 2019, altogether 2,652 cases of AES were reported across the State with 353 of those resulting in death. The highest number of 601 cases was reported in Dibrugarh district, followed by Kamrup Metro (241) and Lakhimpur (167) districts.
  • The number of JE cases reported in 2019 was 641 with 161 of those resulting in death. Last year, the highest cases of JE were reported in Lakhimpur (50), followed by Nagaon (45) and Sivasagar (45) districts.
  • In 2019 altogether 89 AES cases and 34 JE cases were reported in Goalpara district. While AES claimed the lives of 21 people, JE claimed 13 lives in that district.
PM Modi kicks off 107th Indian Science Congress in Bengaluru
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 107th Indian Science Congress (ISC 2020) in Bengaluru in the presence of galaxy of top scientists, Nobel Laureates, dignitaries and students from across the country and the world over.
  • During his address, the Prime Minister called for new solutions to remove and reuse plastic waste and metal from the electronic waste. He also sought solutions to farmer-centric problems like the stubble burning.
  • About 15,000 delegates, including two Nobel Laureates and eminent scientists from across India and abroad are attending the mega 5-day event at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), which is hosting the annual event.
  • This year’s event focal theme is ‘Science & Technology : Rural Development’

FACTFILE – Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA)

  • Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) is a premier scientific organisation of India with headquarters at Kolkata, West Bengal. The association started in the year 1914 in Kolkata and it has a membership of more than 30,000 scientists.
  • The first Indian Science Congress was held in 1914 at the Asiatic Society in Calcutta.
  • Several prominent Indian and foreign scientists, including Nobel laureates, attend and speak the congress.
ISRO sets up 4th regional academic centre for space in NIT Karnataka
  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) set up a regional academic centre for space at the National Institute of Technology (NITK) at Surathkal in Karnataka”s southwest Dakshina Kannada district.
  • The centre at NIT-K will conduct joint research and development in space technology applications to meet the needs of space programmes.
  • The state-run ISRO will provide Rs 2 crore grant annually to NIT for the R&D projects and promotional activities through the year.
  • The space agency and the engineering institute signed an agreement on the industry-academic collaboration at Surathkal, about 380km from Bengaluru.
  • The centre, fourth in the country, will also facilitate promoting space technology in the southern states, including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana and be an ambassador for capacity-building, awareness and research and development.
  • A joint policy and management committee will guide the centre in optimal utilisation of the research potential, infrastructure, expertise and experience of the space agency and the autonomous institute.
  • The committee will plan activities like research programmes of common interest and reviewing their projects periodically.
  • Students of under-graduation (B.Tech) and post-graduation (M.Tech) will be involved in one-year short-term research projects and 2-4 year long-term projects in advance space programmes.
  • The other three such centres are Malaviya National Institute of Technology at Jaipur in Rajasthan, Gauhati University in Assam and Kurukshetra University at Thanesar in Haryana.
Dubai-based Indian girl Sucheta Satish wins Global Child Prodigy Award
  • A Dubai-based Indian girl, who can sing in 120 languages, has won in the ”Global Child Prodigy Awards 2020”.
  • The 13-year-old Sucheta Satish, known as the Dubai Indian High School”s nightingale, won in the singing category.
  • The Global Child Prodigy Award is a platform to celebrate children”s talent and power in different categories such as dancing, music, arts, writing, acting, modelling, science, innovation, sports etc.
  • The awards are supported by the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation and Oscar award winning music producer A.R. Rahman.

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JANUARY 05, 2020

Tripura per capita income to cross the national average
  • Due to proactive economic measures taken by the State Government, Tripura’s per capita income would cross the national average in the current fiscal (2019-20), said Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.
  • According to official documents, the per capita income of Tripura was Rs 1,13,467 in 2018-19 against the national average of Rs 1,25,397.
  • The Chief Minister said that besides the urban areas, the rural areas of Tripura are also economically developing following which the per capita income has increased substantially and it is expected to cross Rs 1,50,000 by the end of 2019-20.

Indian states and union territories by NSDP per capita

  • According to the IMF, on a per capita income basis, India ranked 142nd by GDP (nominal) and 119th by GDP (PPP) per capita in 2018.
Rank State/UTs NSDP per capita (nominal)
1 Goa ₹467,998 (US$6,600)
2 Delhi ₹365,529 (US$5,100)
3 Sikkim ₹357,643 (US$5,000)
4 Chandigarh ₹297,313 (US$4,200)
5 Haryana ₹226,644 (US$3,200)
6 Puducherry ₹220,461 (US$3,100)
7 Karnataka ₹210,887 (US$3,000)
8 Telangana ₹205,696 (US$2,900)
9 Uttarakhand ₹198,738 (US$2,800)
10 Tamil Nadu ₹193,750 (US$2,700)
11 Maharashtra ₹180,596 (US$2,500)
12 Kerala ₹179,523 (US$2,500)
13 Himachal Pradesh ₹179,188 (US$2,500)
14 Gujarat ₹174,652 (US$2,400)
15 Andhra Pradesh ₹164,025 (US$2,300)
16 Andaman and Nicobar Islands ₹159,664 (US$2,200)
17 Punjab ₹154,598 (US$2,200)
18 Mizoram ₹141,210 (US$2,000)
19 Arunachal Pradesh ₹127,748 (US$1,800)
— India ₹126,406 (US$1,800)2
20 West Bengal ₹109,491 (US$1,500)
21 Rajasthan ₹109,105 (US$1,500)
22 Tripura ₹105,044 (US$1,500)
23 Nagaland ₹102,581 (US$1,400)
24 Chhattisgarh ₹96,887 (US$1,400)
25 Jammu and Kashmir ₹94,992 (US$1,300)
26 Odisha ₹93,352 (US$1,300)
27 Madhya Pradesh ₹90,998 (US$1,300)
28 Meghalaya ₹85,609 (US$1,200)
29 Jharkhand ₹76,019 (US$1,100)
30 Assam ₹74,204 (US$1,000)
31 Manipur ₹62,640 (US$880)
32 Uttar Pradesh ₹61,351 (US$860)
33 Bihar ₹43,822 (US$610)

Rs 457 crore to be spent in 2020 for upgrading NE airports
  • Almost all the airports in the northeastern region are on upgrade projects for which about Rs 457 crore will be spent in the year 2020, focusing mainly on developing airport-related infrastructure and enhancing passenger amenities.
  • Most of the land disputes in the region have been resolves and hundred per cent land mutation done for all airports.
  • At present 12 airports are operational in the Northeast. Air connectivity in the region has also increased and some routes have been reactivated. Focusing about some remote locations, Lengpui (Aizawl) and Dimapur airports have seen new connectivity.
  • Cargo development is another sector where the Northeast is growing fast and the AAI is in the process of developing cargo terminals at all the airports of the region.
  • The AAI is coming up with world class integrated terminal buildings in Guwahati and Agartala. Greenfield (completely new project) airports are also being developed at Holongi (Arunachal Pradesh) and Silchar (Assam).
28th World Book Fair started in New Delhi
  • The 28th edition of the nine-day New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) opened at Pragati Maidan, and saw Lt. Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi launch a book written on her.
  • This year, the book fair is themed Gandhi: Writer”s Writer.
  • The 2020 Fair was inaugurated by HRD Minister Ramesh Pokkhriyal ”Nishank”
  • He also urged publishers to promote books and the habit of reading as people are moving away from books, and said that a book fair like the NDWBF ensures that books and reading is preserved and increases.
  • Organised by the National Book Trust (NBT) and the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), the fair is featuring over 600 exhibitors in different languages including Bangla, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Maithili, Malayalam, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu, who are exhibiting books in over 1300 stalls.
  • Along with business sessions, several literary and cultural activities including seminars, book release functions and panel discussions, are part of the fair.
  • It sees participation from about 20 foreign countries including China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Iran, Nepal, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the UK, and the US.
Children’s Science Congress kicks off in Bengaluru
  • The two-day children’s science congress of the 107th Indian Science Congress (ISC), kicked off aimed at encouraging school children to take up science education.
  • The main objective is to motivate children to take science and technology education and encourage a sense of discovery.
  • ISC organising committee Chairman and University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) Vice Chancellor S. Rajendra Prasad said the Children”s Science Congress targeted students in the age bracket of 10-17 years.
  • Thousands of students from across the country and Bengaluru attended the event where Israeli Chemistry Nobel Laureate Ada Yonath and Bharat Ratna C.N.R. Rao also spoke.

 

JANUARY 06, 2020

Guwahati Refinery carries out Akira Miyawaki method of afforestation
  • As a mark of support to Indian Oil’s commitment towards the cause of environment protection and conservation, Guwahati Refinery carried out an ‘Akira Miyawaki’ method of afforestation at Amingaon in Guwahati.
  • A total of 4,000 saplings of around 48 species of indigenous plants were planted near the Saraighat Lake in an attempt to build ‘the lungs of Guwahati city’.
  • A large number of employees took part in the afforestation drive which was carried out in line with the ‘Think Green’ mission of Indian Oil. The afforestation was carried out under the CSR initiatives of Guwahati Refinery and in collaboration with the district administration of Kamrup.
  • Miyawaki method of afforestation is a technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, that helps build dense, native forests. The approach is supposed to ensure that plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual. It involves planting dozens of native species in the same area, and becomes maintenance-free after the first three years.

BIOGRAPHY – Akira Miyawaki

  • Akira Miyawaki is a Japanese botanist and expert in plant ecology, specializing in seeds and the study of natural forests.
  • He is active worldwide as a specialist in the restoration of natural vegetation on degraded land.
  • Since 1993, he has been Professor Emeritus at Yokohama National University and Director of the Japanese Center for International Studies in Ecology.
  • He received the Blue Planet Prize in 2006.
Indian Navy kicks off 1st Maha Navy Connect 2020
  • The Indian Navy launched a first-ever three-dimensional expedition to promote the heritage of India and spread awareness on coastal security among the sea-side communities in Maharashtra.
  • The tri-axes expedition – comprising yachting, running and cycling teams of 50 naval personnel was flagged off by Western Naval Command”s Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral Ajith Kumar P. at the Naval Dockyard.
  • The expedition extends from Arnala Fort, the northernmost fort in Palghar district built by the then Portuguese rulers to Sindhudurg Fort, the southernmost fort in the state built by ChhatrapatiShivajiMaharaj.
  • The team of sailors, runners and cyclists will cover a staggering distance of over 555 kms, and complete the expedition after a week.
  • The three teams will touch prominent coastal locations like the KanhojiAngre Island with the Khanderi Fort, around 20 kms off Mumbai harbour in the Arabian Sea, Revdanda, Korlai, Murud-Janjira, Raigad, Suvarnadurg, Jaigad, Ratnadurg, Purnagad, Vijaydurg and Devgad forts, spanning Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg in the Konkan region.
  • Besides, the teams would visit and interact with students of schools-college, NCC-NSS and local establishments to spread awareness about coastal security.
Delhi launches ”She Codes” programme for girl students
  • The Directorate of Education of the Delhi government on Friday launched ”She Codes” programme for girl students of the city government schools, With an aim to empower young girls in the field of Computer Science.
  • Launched in collaboration with She Codes Foundation – a Not for Profit organization — the programme aims to provide free and flexible Computer science and coding skills programmes for girls.
  • While 1,000 girl students of the Delhi government schools have been enrolled in the programme, the government is aiming to accommodate 10,000 girls by March 2021.
  • The aim is to equip girls to be strong enough to pursue a career in technology.

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JANUARY 07, 2020

Centre clears Rs 5,908 crore aid to Assam and other 6 disaster-hit states
  • The Centre decided to provide additional assistance of Rs 5,908.56 crore to seven disaster-hit states – Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh.
  • The states were affected by floods, landslides and cloudburst during south west monsoon 2019.
  • A High Level Committee (HLC), chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, approved the additional assistance to seven states from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
  • Rs 616.63 crore to Assam, Rs 284.93 crore to Himachal Pradesh, Rs 1869.85 crore to Karnataka, Rs 1749.73 crore to Madhya Pradesh, Rs 956.93 crore to Maharashtra, Rs 63.32 to Tripura and Rs 367.17 crore to Uttar Pradesh.
  • Earlier, the Central government had released an interim financial assistance of Rs 3,200 crore to four states — Rs 1,200 crore to Karnataka, Rs 1,000 crore to Madhya Pradesh, Rs 600 crore to Maharashtra and Rs 400 crore to Bihar.
  • In addition, during 2019-20, till date, the Centre had released Rs 8,068.33 crore to 27 states as Central share from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
Bodo Sahitya Sabha signed MoU to digitise Bodo language
  • The Bodo Sahitya Sabha signed an MoU with ASCOSYS, an organisation working in information technology, for a project to digitise the Bodo language.
  • The MoU was signed in the presence of Sabha president Taren Boro, general secretary PrasantaBoro, Vice Chancellor of CMJ University, Meghalaya PranhariTalukdar, director ASCOSYS Mandeep Sharma and others.
  • The Sabha singed the memorandum for a project called ‘e-thunlai’ (e-literature) to digitise the language and make it easily available online.
  • The main aim is to popularise the language among non-Bodo speakers.
  • More than 1,000 books will be available on online platforms after completion of the project.
  • The project will be formally launched at the 59th annual conference of the Bodo Sahitya Sabha to be held at Khoirabari in Udalguri district from January 20.
IIT Mandi develops mechanism for hydrogen production
  • Indian Institute of Technology Mandi said its researchers have developed new materials that can use sunlight for the production of hydrogen from water.
  • This collaborative research work by IIT Mandi and Yogi Vemana University in Andhra Pradesh.
  • Hydrogen gas, with its high energy yield and eco-friendliness has been identified as a potential energy vector that can herald a new hydrogen-based economy.
  • The catch with hydrogen economy is that the gas is now largely obtained from fossil fuels by petroleum and natural gas steam reforming processes, which does not help with the problem we set out solving – finding alternatives to fossil fuels.
  • Water, the simplest chemical compound known to man, is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom and is logically a good source of hydrogen.
  • However, splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen is not easy and is energy intensive. It has been known for decades that light can assist in the splitting of water into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
  • The researchers have developed a novel multicomponent catalyst comprising nitrogen doped zinc oxide nanorods coated with molybdenum sulphide nanosheets.
  • Materials in the nanometre scale have high surface area-to-volume ratio, improved physical properties and tuneable electronic properties, all of which make them suitable for photocatalytic activities.
  • This collaborative research has not only provided an easy method to fabricate the N-ZnO-MoS2 nanosheet heterojunctions but has also offered insights into the scope of exploitation of such materials for hydrogen fuel generation using water and sunlight.
Delhi launches Mission NEEV health scheme
  • The Delhi government launched Neonatal Early Evaluation Vision (NEEV) covering close to 1.5 lakh newborns to tackle visible, functional and metabolic defects in them.
  • Health Minister Satyendar Jain laid the foundation of NEEV at Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC).
  • The scheme is being supported by the Delhi government and Delhi State Health Mission under the Rashtriya Baal SwasthyaKaryakram.
  • With the programme being implemented at many government hospitals, newborns who do not have clinically evident disease like congenital hypothyroidism, critical congenital heart disease and hearing loss will be picked up early and treatment can be initiated early
  • To start at 31 birthing facilities with the highest load, Jain said that this will be expanded later to include all delivery points and other birthing facilities.

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Assam Current Affairs – December 29 – 31, 2019

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Current Affairs Assam – December 29 - 31, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of December 29 – 31, 2019 )

 

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December 29, 2019

  IIT Guwahati develops materials to generate power from water
  • Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed new materials that can generate power from both stagnant and flowing water.
  • These new ways of producing energy on a small scale can be employed in household environments to support decentralisation of energy sources.
  • The researchers employed the nanoscale phenomenon called “electrokinetic streaming potential” to harvest energy from flowing water on a small scale, like water flowing through household water taps.
  • They used another process called “contrasting interfacial activities” in which different types of semiconducting materials were employed to generate power from stagnant water.
  • A research team led by KalyanRaidongia, from the Department of Chemistry at IIT Guwahati, noted that the impending energy crisis has arisen from the dual problems of dwindling fossil fuel reserves and environmental issues associated with the use of such fuel.This has led to considerable research in alternative energy sources such as light, heat, wind, ocean waves, etc.
  • The findings demonstrate that power output can be improved by thousand times by attaining the best out of these parameters.In order to extract power from stagnant water, devices were fabricated by employing doped graphene flakes.
  • The complementary charge transfer activities of doped graphene flakes based devices generate power just upon dipping in any kind of water source, like lake, river or seawater.
  • Graphene is the sheet produced by oxidation followed by reduction of natural graphite flakes.The researcher doped graphene oxide with boron and nitrogen, separately, loaded the two forms of graphene into two filter papers that served as electrodes in an electrochemical cell.Dipping the two filter papers into water produces potential up to 570 millivolt, which was stable for 80 hours.
 Union Cabinet approve for updation of the National Population Register (NPR)
  • The Union Cabinet approve for updation of the National Population Register (NPR) with no requirement by people to submit any document or biometrics to prove their identity, and conducting of census of India 2021.
  • The NPR updation exercise will be conducted between April and September 2020 in all states and Union Territories and a head count will be ready by February 2021 — the Census year.
  • NPR will be on self declaration or self-certification basis and only head count will be done.
  • The Cabinet has approved the proposal for conducting Census of India 2021 at a cost of Rs 8,754.23 crore and updation of NPR at a cost of Rs 3,941.35 crore.
  • The NPR was first started in 2010 by the UPA government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, ahead of Census 2011, and was last updated in 2015.
  • The NPR is a register of residents of the country, prepared at the local (village/sub-town), sub-district, district, state and national level under the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, which was subsequently updated in 2015 by seeding it with Aadhaar.
  • Census the largest administrative and statistical exercise in the world will be conducted in two phases — House listing and Housing Census (from April to September 2020) and Population Enumeration (from February 9 to February 28, 2021). The government said that 30 lakh field functionaries will complete this gigantic exercise — up from 28 lakh in 2011.
 Union Govt’s approval for Rs 6,000 crore Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL)
  • The Union Cabinet gave its approval for the implementation of the Rs 6,000 crore Atal BhujalYojana (ATAL JAL), to improve ground water management.
  • A central sector scheme to be implemented over a period of five years (2020-21 to 2024-25), it aims to improve ground water management through community participation in identified priority areas in seven states – Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
  • The implementation of the scheme is expected to benefit nearly 8,350 gram panchayats in 78 districts in these states.
  • This scheme will promote panchayat-led ground water management and behavioural change with primary focus on demand side management.
  • Out of the total outlay of Rs 6,000 crore, 50 per cent shall be in the form of a World Bank loan, and be repaid by the Central government.
  • The remaining 50 per cent shall be through Central Assistance from regular budgetary support.
  • The entire World Bank loan component and central assistance shall be passed on to the states as grants.
  • The scheme has two major components for strengthening institutional arrangements for sustainable ground water management in the states including improving monitoring networks, capacity building, and strengthening of water user associations.

 DECEMBER 30, 2019

 ONGC’s Rs 3,500crore project in Assam gets environment clearance
  • State-run ONGC has received environment clearance for carrying out onshore exploration, development and production of oil and gas in 100 locations in non-forest area of Assam, that would entail an investment of Rs 3,500 crore.
  • The Environment Ministry has given green clearance to ONGC, the country’s largest oil and gas exploration and production company, after taking into account the recommendations of a green panel.
  • The company proposes to carry out drilling in 100 locations to evaluate the hydrocarbon potential of 21 different onshore PML (petroleum mining lease) blocks in a non-forest area in Assam and Assam Arakan basin.
  • The total area of Sivasagar district PML is 957.73 square kilometres, in which Lakwa, Rudrasagar, Geleki and its adjoining areas are important oil producing fields in ‘North Assam Shelf’ of Sivasagar district.So far, more than 500 wells – exploratory wells and development wells – have been drilled in this field with depths ranging from 2,400 metres to 4,200 metres.
  • India is dependent on imports for crude oil, and the government is encouraging exploration and production of oil and gas. ONGC produces 70 per cent of the India’s total crude oil and 60 per cent of natural gas.
 Forest cover in NE decreases, as per State of Forest Report
  • While India’s overall forest and tree cover has increased by 5,188 square kilometres at the national level, in the northeastern States, barring Assam, it has seen a decrease.
  • The Indian State of Forest Report 2019 revealed the forest cover of the country is 712,249 sq km, which is 21.67 per cent of the geographical area of the country. The tree cover of the country is estimated at 95,027 sq km which is 2.89 per cent of the geographical area.
  • The forest cover in Assam has increased by 221.54 sq km as compared to the previous assessment report of 2017.
  • The current assessment shows an increase of 3,976 sq km (0.56 per cent) of forest cover, 1,212 sq km (1.29 per cent) of tree cover and 5,188 sq km (0.65 per cent) of forest and tree cover put together at the national level as compared to the previous assessment in 2017.
  • Thecurrent assessment shows a decrease of forest cover to the extent of 765 sq km (0.45 per cent) in the northeastern region. The northeastern States that recorded a decrease in forest cover are Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland.
  • One of the reasons for decrease in forest cover in the Northeast could be the practice of shifting cultivation and illegal activities like rampant rat hole mining in Meghalaya and open cast mining.
  • Among the northeastern States, Arunachal Pradesh has witnessed a decrease of 276.22 sq km of forest cover, which can be attributed to shifting cultivation and development activities.
  • The forest cover in Meghalaya has decreased by 27.21 sq km, the forest cover in Manipur has decreased by 499.10 sq km.
  • The forest cover in Mizoram has decreased by 180.49 sq km, while that in Nagaland has decreased by 2.60 sq km. Tripura also witnessed a decrease of forest cover by 0.41 sq km.
 Union Cabinet approved unification of the eight Group A services into Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS)
  • The Union Cabinet approved the organisational restructuring of the railways through the unification of the existing eight Group A services into one central service called the Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS).
  • The unification of services will end ”departmentalism”, promote smooth working of railways, expedite decision making and create a coherent vision for the organisation.
  • The Railway Board will be reorganised on the functional lines and be headed by a Chairman, and comprise four members and some independent members, who will be highly distinguished professionals with deep knowledge and 30 years of experience including at the top levels in industry, finance, economics and management fields.
  • These independent members will help Railway Board in setting a strategic direction. The restructured Board will start functioning after approval of the Board taking due care to ensure that officers are posted in the restructured Board or adjusted in the same pay and rank till their retirement.
  • The unification of the services come in the backdrop of various departments within railways. These departments – traffic, civil, mechanical, electrical, signal & telecom, stores, personnel, and accounts etc – are vertically separated from top to bottom and are headed by a Secretary level officer.
  • The existing Indian Railway Medical Service (IRMS) will be renamed as Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS).
 India’s Forest, Tree cover increased by 5,188 Sq.Kms
  • There has been an increase of 5,188 sqkms in the total forest and tree cover of the country as compared to the assessment of 2017. Union Ministry for Environment and Forests.
  • Out of this, the increase in the forest cover has been observed as 3,976 sq km and that in tree cover is 1,212 sq km.
  • Under the current assessment the total carbon stock in country’s forest is estimated 7,124.6 million tonnes and there an increase of 42.6 million tonnes in the carbon stock of country as compared to the last assessment of 2017.
  • The top three states showing an increase in forest cover are Karnataka (1,025 sq km) followed by Andhra Pradesh (990 sq km) and Kerala (823 sq km).
  • Mangrove cover has been separately reported in the ISFR 2019 and the total mangrove cover in the country is 4,975 sq km. An increase of 54 sq km in mangrove cover has been observed as compared to the previous assessment of 2017.
  • Top three states showing mangrove cover increase are Gujarat (37 sq km) followed by Maharashtra (16 sq km) and Odisha (8 sq km).
  • The extent of the bamboo bearing area of the country has been estimated 16.00 million hectares.
  • The total estimated green weight of bamboo culms is 278 million tonnes, showing an increase of 88 million tonnes as compared to ISFR 2017.

 DECEMBER 31, 2019

Three higher education institutes from Assam in QS India University Rankings
  • Three educational institutes of higher education from Assam have made it to the top-100 list in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) India University Rankings 2020.
  • While Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) grabbed the 10th place, Tezpur University earned the 35th spot, a place better than itslast year’s rank of 36th in the rankings. Gauhati University was placed in the 71-75 bracket in the top-100 list.
  • IIT-Bombay topped the (QS) India University Rankings 2020 for the second straight.
Bipin Rawat to be India’s first tri-service chief, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)
  • Army chief, General BipinRawat, who was due to retire after serving three years as Chief of Army Staff (COAS), will now assume charge as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
  • Government has decided to appoint General BipinRawatas the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) with effect from 31.12.2019 and until further orders and extension in service of Rawat.
  • As CDS, Rawat will head the military hierarchy as “Permanent Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee” (PC-COSC).
  • The COSC includes the chiefs of the three services — army, navy and air force. As permanent chairman, the CDS will be the first among this body of equals – primus inter pares.
  • The CDS will also have a significant role in higher defence planning and operational aspects of India’s nuclear arsenal.
  • CDS will be member of Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by RM, and Defence Planning Committee, chaired by National Security Advisor. He will also function as the Military Advisor to the Nuclear Command Authority
 Flipkart partners government to empower artisans, SHGs
  • Flipkart signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry’sDeendayalAntyodayaYojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) to empower skilled yet underserved sections of society by inducting them into e-commerce.
  • The e-commerce company will collaborate with state missions under the DAY-NULM to establish the ”Flipkart Samarth programme” in 22 states in India .
  • The government and the company will work with self help groups (SHGs), including local artisans, weavers and crafts producers, and producers of raw and organic food items to provide them market access, training and support.
  • Sellers under the programme shall receive time-bound incubation support from the company that extends to a host of benefits, such as cataloguing support, account management support and more.
  • This partnership will increase business and trade opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and provide them training and support to grow their business.

 

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