Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – January 22-24, 2024
( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for January 22-24, 2024)
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January 22-24, 2024
Amit Shah unvelis book ‘Assam’s Braveheart Lachit Barphukan’
Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently launched a book titled ‘Assam’s Braveheart Lachit Barphukan‘.
The book was released at the Srimanta Sankardev International Auditorium in Guwahati in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The book, authored by Arup Kumar Dutta, delves into the life of the legendary 17th-century Ahom warrior Lachit Barphukan.
The book highlights Lachit Barphukan’s significant role in defending Assam against the Mughal army, chronicling historical events and the enduring influence of Barphukan’s legacy.
The book has been published in English language by the state government and translated into 24 scheduled Indian languages.
India-Egypt Joint Special Forces Exercise CYCLONE
The 2nd edition of Exercise CYCLONE, a joint special forces drill between India and Egypt, is taking place in Anshas, Egypt, from January 22 to February 1, 2024. The exercise is designed to develop bilateral military cooperation and strengthen bond between two armies through conduct of discussions and rehearsal of tactical military drills.
About Exercise Cyclone
- The Indian contingent is being represented by troops from The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and an Egyptian contingent comprising 25 personnel is being represented by Egyptian Commando Squadron and Egyptian Airborne Platoon.
- Aim of the Exercise is to acquaint both the sides with each other’s operating procedures in the backdrop of Special Operations in desert/ semi desert terrain under Chapter VII of United Nations Charter.
- The Exercise will involve planning and execution of special operations in sub conventional domain and conducted in three phases.
- While the first phase will include Military Exhibitions and Tactical Interactions, second phase will focus on training on Improvised Explosive Device (IED), counter IED and Combat First Aid. The third and final phase will encompass Joint Tactical Exercise based on Fighting in Built-up Area and Hostage Rescue Scenarios.
- The Exercise will provide an opportunity to both the contingents to strengthen their bond and share best practices. It will also act as a platform to achieve shared security objectives and foster bilateral relations between two friendly nations.
- The first edition of the exercise was conducted last year in India.
Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana
The PM announced Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana, a pioneering government initiative aimed at installing rooftop solar power systems in one crore households across the nation.
About Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana
- This scheme is a new attempt to help reach the target of 40 GW rooftop solar capacity.
- It will involve installing solar power systems at rooftops for residential consumers.
- The scheme would help not only reduce electricity bills of the poor and middle class, but also push India’s goal of becoming self-reliant in the energy sector.
Current Solar Capacity in India
- According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, solar power installed capacity in India has reached around 73.31 GW as of December 2023.
- Meanwhile, rooftop solar installed capacity is around 11.08 GW as of December 2023. Overall, solar power has a major share in the country’s current renewable energy capacity, which stands at around 180 GW.
- High performing states In terms of total solar capacity, Rajasthan is at the top with 18.7 GW. Gujarat is at the second position with 10.5 GW.
- When it comes to rooftop solar capacity, Gujarat tops the list with 2.8 GW, followed by Maharashtra by 1.7 GW.
Previous schemes to promote rooftop solar system
In 2014, the government launched the Rooftop Solar Programme. This had aimed to achieve a cumulative installed capacity of 40,000 megawatts (MW) or 40 gigawatts (GW) by 2022.
‘Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Samman campaign’
The Vice-President of India had inaugurated ‘Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Samman’ to commemorate the 75th Year of India as a Republic. The campaign, led by the Ministry of Law and Justice, aims to reaffirm commitment to the Constitution, celebrating shared values.
This nationwide initiative envisage to instill a sense of pride and responsibility to uphold the ideals outlined in the constitutional framework. It will also give opportunity to every citizen to participate in various ways, empower them to contribute in a meaningful way in our democratic journey.
Some of the themes to be covered during the Campaign include:-
- Sabko Nyay Har Ghar Nyaya – Connecting the villagers and spreading awareness of legal services. The citizens would also get the opportunity to showcase their talents and to test their knowledge on the Constitution.
- Vidhi Jagriti Abhiyan – Involving the students to carry the message Panch Pran in the villages adopted by the Law colleges, under the Pro Bono Club scheme.
- Nyaya Setu – Expanding the legal services till the last mile. The event also released the achievement booklet of the Scheme on Access to Justice ‘Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice’ (DISHA).
- Partnership with IGNOU – To allow Paralegals to acquire certifications in diverse field of laws to increase their employability. Partnership with Bhashini – To break the barriers of language in accessibility to justice.
The 9th India International Science Festival (IISF)
The 9th edition of India International Science Festival, (IISF-2023) held from 17 to 20 January at Faridabad, Haryana.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India is organizing the 9th edition of IISF and its autonomous organization National Innovation Foundation-India is the coordination and implementation body of IISF 2023.
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) institutes Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) – Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) located in Faridabad (Haryana) is the host institute of the grand event
Objectives
- The aim of this science festival is to celebrate the achievements of India in the frontier areas of science and technology.
- The festival also aims to acknowledge the achievements of science enthusiasts and inculcate scientific temper among young students and spread the same among the Indian citizens.
Theme
The central theme of IISF 2023 is “Science and Technology Public Outreach in Amrit Kaal”.
This time, 22 countries are also participating at IISF 2023. These include Argentine Republic, Republic of Armenia, Commonwealth of Australia, Kingdom of Cambodia, French Republic, Federal Republic of Germany, Republic of Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Kenya, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Republic of Namibia, Republic of the Philippines, Republic of Rwanda, Republic of Singapore, Republic of South Africa, Kingdom of Thailand, United Kingdom, United States of America (USA), Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and Republic of Zimbabwe.
19th NAM Summit held in Uganda
The 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit was held in Kampala, Uganda. Uganda has taken over as chair from Azerbaijan, to run until 2027.
Theme: ‘Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence.’
Key discussions
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- Israel-Hamas war: The leaders of NAM countries have denounced Israel’s offensive in Gaza and demanded an immediate ceasefire during the summit.
- India’s “Vishwa Mitra” initiative: India emphasized its role as a friend to the world, or “Vishwa Mitra” to global solidarity and cooperation in his address.
- A call for multipolar world
About Non-Aligned Movement
- The NAM was established in 1961 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, through the initiative of five leaders of newly independent countries: Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Sukarno of Indonesia, and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana.
- It was formed during the Cold War as an organisation of States that did not seek to formally align themselves with either the United States or the Soviet Union but sought to remain independent or neutral.
- Currently it has 120 Member States, 17 Observer Countries and 10 Observer organizations.
- NAM does not have a permanent secretariat or a formal founding charter, act, or treaty.
- The summit usually takes place every three years.