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Assam Current Affairs – July 07-09, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – July 07-09 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the July 07- 09, 2022)

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 314: July 2022, Week 2 | Watch Quiz Video

July 07-09, 2022

Maryna Viazovska Wins Prestigious Fields Medal 2022

Ukrainian mathematician Maryna Viazovska along with other three mathematicians received the prestigious Fields Medals at a ceremony in Helsinki, Finland.

The four awardees of the prestigious prize include France’s Hugo Duminil-Copin, US-based June Huh, Britain’s James Maynard and Ukraine’s Maryna Viazovska.

About Fields Medal

  • Fields Medal is awarded at the International Congress of the International Mathematical Union (IMU).
  • Every four years, a mathematician under the age of 40 receives the Fields Medal for outstanding mathematical achievement for existing work and for the promise of future achievement.
  • The Fields medal award comprises a gold medal (14 karat gold) bearing the profile of Archimedes and a cash amount. 
  • The Fields medal and cash prizes are funded by a trust established by J.C.Fields at the University of Toronto.
  • The Fields Medal Committee, which is chosen by the Executive Committee of the International Mathematical Union, is normally chaired by the IMU President.
  • The Fields Medals were first awarded in 1936 in Oslo, Norway. The Fields medals were conceived by John Charles Fields, a Canadian mathematician.

PT Usha, Ilaiyaraaja, V Vijayendra Prasad, and Veerendra Heggade nominated to Rajya Sabha

Sports legend P.T. Usha, music composer Ilaiyaraaja, philanthropist Veerendra Heggade and screenwriter V. Vijayendra Prasadhave were nominated to the Rajya Sabha in the category of eminent persons by the President.

The president can appoint 12 members for their contributions to art, literature, science, and social services. 

The nominees are from the States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. 

Ms. Usha, born in Kozhikode in Kerala, is one of India’s best known track-and-field stars. She has been given the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri in the past. 

Mr. Ilaiyaraaja from Tamil Nadu, a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan and many awards for his music, has composed more than 7,000 songs for more then 1,000 films (mainly in southern India), and has more than 20,000 concert performances to his credit. 

Veerendra Heggade has served as the ‘Dharmadhikari’ of the Dharmasthala Temple in Karnataka since the tender age of 20. He has been a devoted philanthropist for more than five decades. He has led various transformative initiatives for rural development and promotion of self-employment.

K.V. Vijayendra Prasad, who is from Andhra Pradesh, is an acclaimed screenwriter and film director, who has penned the scripts of many prominent Telugu and Hindi movies.

India’s first autonomous navigation facility “TiHAN” launched at IIT Hyderabad

India’s first Autonomous Navigation facility, TiHAN inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, Jitendra Singh at the IIT Hyderabad campus with an outlay of Rs. 130 crores.

About TiHAN 

  • TiHAN stands for “Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation”. 
  • It is a multidisciplinary initiative that has been launched to make India a global player in ‘smart mobility’ technology for futuristic and next generation. 
  • TiHAN Testbed will act as a unique platform for high-quality research between academia, industry and R&D labs both at the national and international levels. 
  • The TiHAN – IITH will be the source of futuristic technology generation for autonomous vehicles.

Kharchi festival begins in Tripura 

Kharchi Puja is one of the most important Hindu festivals of Tripura. This festival falls in the month of July on the eighth day of the new moon.

It is a week-long traditional festival, offering prayer to 14 gods and goddess, began with thousands of devotees converging at Khayerpur on the eastern outskirts of Tripura.

There are many legends associated with this Puja. The celebrations extend until a week and are held in the temple premises which are attended by thousands of people.

The word “Kharchi” is derived from the word “Khya” which means “Earth”. Kharchi Puja is basically done to worship the earth. 

The Puja is performed to wash out the sins and to clean the post-menstrual phase of Mother Earth’s menstruation. 

India elected to UNESCO panel on Intangible Cultural Heritage

India became part of “Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)” for the third time. 

Key Points

  • India will be a member for a period of 2022-2026. 
  • India has served as a member of the ICH Committee twice — from 2006 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2018.
  • The Intergovernmental Committee of the 2003 Convention consists of 24 members and is elected in the General Assembly of the Convention according to the principles of equitable geographical representation and rotation. 
  • States Members to the Committee are elected for a term of four years.

Functions of the Intergovernmental Committee

  • The main functions of the Intergovernmental Committee includes promoting the objectives of the Convention.
  • Providing guidance on best practices, and making recommendations on measures for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. 
  • Examines requests submitted by States Parties for the inscription of intangible heritage on the Lists as well as proposals for programmes and projects.

India’s Vision

India has formulated a clear vision for the protection and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. India will focus upon 

  • Fostering community participation
  • Strengthening international cooperation through intangible heritage, promoting academic research on intangible cultural heritage.
  • Aligning the work of the Convention with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 
  • This vision was also shared with the other State Parties of the Convention prior to the elections.

Gita Gopinath becomes first woman to feature on IMF’s ‘wall of former chief economists’

Gita Gopinath became the first woman and second Indian to feature on the ‘wall of former chief economists’ of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The first Indian to achieve the honour was Raghuram Rajan who was Chief Economist and Director of Research of IMF between 2003 and 2006. 

Gopinath was appointed as IMF Chief Economist in October 2018 and was later promoted as the IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director in December 2021.

Before joining the faculty of Harvard University in 2005, she was an assistant professor of economics at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

  • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C. consisting of 190 countries.
  • It was established in 1944 but formally started working on December 27, 1945 at the Bretton Woods Conference. Initially, there were 29 member countries. 
  • It works to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.

Amitabh Kant appointed as G20 Sherpa 

Former CEO of NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant, has been selected as India’s new Sherpa for the G-20. He will replace Piyush Goyal.

Key Points

  • Amitabh Kant assumed charge as NITI Aayog CEO in 2016. 
  • For about six years, he led as the NITI Aayog CEO and his extended term concluded in June 2022.
  • He has also been the chairman of Empowered Group-3, which is one among the 11 groups set up by the central government for controlling the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
  • The G20 is a major international grouping that brings together 19 major economies of the world and the European Union. 
  • The G20 members account for over 80 percent of global GDP, 75 percent of global trade and 60 percent of global population.

 

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 314: July 2022, Week 2 | Watch Quiz Video

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 313: July 2022, Week 1

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Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 313: July 2022, Week 1

( Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022 | Quiz Home Page

Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

 

Q1. As per the ‘EIU Global Liveability Index’ 2022,  which is the most liveable city in the world?

  1. Vienna
  2. Geneva
  3. Pittsburgh
  4. Auckland

Vienna

  • The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) launched its annual ranking of the world’s most liveable cities- Global Liveability Index for 2022.
  • A total of 173 cities were ranked based on a range of criteria, including infrastructure, availability to green space, political stability, crime rates, and health care.

Top three cities

  1. Vienna (Austria)
  2. Copenhagen (Denmark)
  3. Zurich (Switzerland)

Q2. Which state runs the ‘Mo Bus service’ which was recently recognized by the UN’s Public Service Awards?

  1. Odisha
  2. Kerala
  3. Telangana
  4. Tamil Nadu

Odisha

  • Odisha’s Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) authority introduced the Mo Bus Service in 2018 to promote smart technologies and safe transportation for women riders.
  • It was recently recognised by the UN’s Public Service Awards for 2022.

Q3. T-Hub is a start-up incubator based in which state/UT?

  1. New Delhi
  2. Maharashtra
  3. Tamil Nadu
  4. Telangana

Telangana

  • Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao recently inaugurated the new facility of business incubator T-Hub in Hyderabad.
  • T-Hub 2.0 is claimed to be world’s largest innovation campus. The facility will support over 2,000 startups under one roof. Established in 2015, T-Hub (Technology Hub) is an innovation hub and ecosystem enabler based in the city of Hyderabad.

Q4. Which state will host the G-20 summit in 2023?

  1. Uttar Pradesh
  2. Himachal Pradesh
  3. Uttarakhand
  4. Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir

  • Jammu and Kashmir has been selected by the Ministry for External Affairs (MEA) for meetings during the G-20 summit, to be hosted by India in 2023.
  • The Jammu and Kashmir government has constituted a five-member high-powered panel for overall coordination of G20 meetings to be held in the union territory. This will be the first major international summit to be held in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of its special status.

Q5. Recently ISRO has launched its PSLV-C53 mission with three Singaporean satellites, being launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. Sriharikota is a barrier island off the Bay of Bengal coast in

  1. Andhra Pradesh
  2. Kerala
  3. Odisha
  4. West Bengal

Andhra Pradesh

  • The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched three satellites from Singapore in its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C53) mission.
  • It is being launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. PSLV-C53 is also the second dedicated mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a corporate arm of the Department of Space. ISRO has successfully launched the PSLV-C52 mission in February 2022 by injecting Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-04)

Q6. Who has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog?

  1. Parameswaran Iyer
  2. Ajit Doval
  3. Amitabh Kant
  4. Subash Chandra Garg

Parameswaran Iyer

  • Parameswaran Iyer, a 1981 IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog.
  • He is also the former Secretary of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, who led the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Q7.Raghurajpur is famous for which of the following types of paintings?

  1. Madhubani
  2. Pattachitra
  3. Kalamkari Paintings
  4. Warli Art

Pattachitra

Pattachitra painting is the traditional painting of Odisha and West Bengal. These scroll paintings trace their origin to 12th century. They mainly depict Hindu mythology and are closely related to Jagannath and Vaishnava sect.

Q8. ‘CAPSTONE’ satellite was recently launched by which space agency?

  1. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)
  2. Rocosmos
  3. NASA
  4. SpaceX

NASA

  • NASA has recently launched a 25-kg satellite ‘CAPSTONE’, which is short for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment.
  • The satellite is designed to test a unique and elliptical lunar orbit. CAPSTONE will enter an elongated orbit called a near rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO). It will provide data about operating in an NRHO and showcase key technologies.

Q9. Who has sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra?

  1. Devendra Fadnavis
  2. Vinayak Raut
  3. Eknath Shinde
  4. Pravin Darekar

Eknath Shinde

  • Shiv Sena rebel leader Eknath Shinde sworn in as Maharashtra CM while BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister.
  • Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari administered the oath of office and secrecy to the leaders.

Q10. Who is appointed as the President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)?

  1. Urjit Patel
  2. T Raja Kumar
  3. Dr. Raghuram Rajan
  4. Dr. D. Subbarao

T Raja Kumar

  • T Raja Kumar of Singapore has been appointed as the president of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the anti-money laundering watchdog.
  • He has replaced Marcus Pleyer and will discharge his service for next two years. As per FATF, the President will focus on enhancing the effectiveness of global anti-money laundering  and counter-terrorist financing measures, improving asset recovery and other initiatives.

Q11. Which Union Ministry released the ‘States’ Start-ups Ranking 2021’?

  1. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  2. Ministry of Corporate Affairs
  3. Ministry of Foreign Trade
  4. Ministry of Finance

Ministry of Commerce and Industry

  • The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry has released ‘Start-ups Ranking 2021’.
  • Gujarat, Karnataka and Meghalaya were categorised as best performers
  • Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram and Ladakh have an emerging start-up ecosystem. Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and Jammu and Kashmir were ranked as the top performers.

Q12. The institution in India to issue ‘Electoral bonds’ is

  1. Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation
  2. Election Commission of India
  3. RBI
  4. State Bank of India

State Bank of India

  • The government has approved the issuance of the 21st phase of sale of electoral bonds through authorised SBI branches from July 1.
  • State Bank of India (SBI) is the only authorised institution to issue and encash Electoral Bonds through its 29 Authorized Branches. The Electoral bonds are interest-free bearer instruments, which can be encashed by the party through a Bank account within 15 days.

Q13. The recently instituted Dr. Rajendra Prasad Memorial Award is associated with which field?

  1. Science & Technology Innovation
  2. Entrepreneurship
  3. Social Service
  4. Public Administration

Public Administration

  • Union Ministery of Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh announced setting up of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Memorial Award in public administration in the field of academic excellence.
  • He announced the award in memory of the first President of India, while he chaired the meeting of Executive Council of Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) in New Delhi.

Q14. The recently adopted Lisbon Declaration is associated with the conservation of which entity?

  1. Oceans
  2. Poles Glaciers
  3. Air
  4. Mountains

Oceans

  • The UN Ocean Conference 2022 concluded with the unanimous adoption of the Lisbon Declaration “Our Ocean, our future, our responsibility.”
  • The Lisbon Declaration takes into account the capacity challenges being faced by the developing countries, mainly the Small Island Developing States and Least Developing Countries.

Q15. Which group of nations recently issued a statement title ‘2022 Resilient Democracies Statement’?

  1. UNGA
  2. G-7
  3. QUAD
  4. BRICS

G-7

  • Leaders of the powerful G7 grouping and its five partner countries, including India issued a joint statement titled ‘2022 Resilient Democracies Statement’.
  • The leaders affirmed that they are committed to open public debate and the free flow of information online and offline while guarding the freedom, independence and diversity of civil society actors.

Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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Assam Current Affairs – July 04-06, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – July 04-06 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the July 04- 06, 2022)

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 313: July 2022, Week 1 | Watch Quiz Video

July 04-06, 2022

Government of Assam approves identification of five Muslim sub-groups as indigenous Assamese Muslim communities.

The government of Assam approved the identification of five Assamese Muslim sub-groups as indigenous Assamese Muslim communities. 

These include Goriyas, Moriyas, Julhas, Deshis, and Syeds as indigenous Assamese Muslim communities. 

The decision to identify five sub-groups as indigenous was taken in line with recommendations of seven sub-groups/committees formed by the state government last year to discuss issues concerning Assamese Muslim community.

The ‘indigenous’ status to Assamese-speaking Muslim communities will distinguish them from Bengali-speaking Muslims, who migrated from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to Assam. 

This classification has been a long-standing demand of Assamese Muslim communities. The classification is also important because to identify the people from minority communities who are the original residents of Assam and have not migrated to the state.

Delhi will host a world-class ‘Delhi Shopping Festival’ in 2023

Delhi will host its first ever world-class ‘Delhi Shopping Festival’ from January 28 to February 26, 2023. This major announcement was made by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The Delhi Shopping Festival was one of the ambitious projects proposed in the Rozgaar Budget 2022-23 presented by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in March this year.

About the festival

  • The festival will be organised from January 28-February 26, 2022. 
  • The festival will have a special opening and closing ceremony. 
  • All major markets and malls will be decorated. It will offer an unparalleled shopping experience to people.
  • There will be at least 200 concerts over the span of 30 days.
  •  Exhibitions will  be organised on different themes including spirituality, gaming, technology, health and wellness.
  • The festival will have a lot to offer for the youth, children and families. 
  • All markets and shops will offer heavy discounts on products during this festival. 
  • There will be a lot of entertainment programmes involving top artists from across the country. 

Odisha has ranked number one in State Ranking Index for NFSA 2022 

Recently, the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has released the 1st edition of ‘State Ranking Index for NFSA’.

Key Points

  • Odisha bagged the first position for implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Uttar Pradesh is ranked second and Andhra Pradesh is ranked third.
  • Tripura secured number one, Himachal Pradesh second and Sikkim is at the third position among special category states for the implementation of the National Food Security Act.
  • Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu scored the highest in terms of coverage, targeting and implementing provisions of NFSA. 
  • Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had the best delivery platform displaying the efficiency of the TPDS supply chain.

About National Food Security Act (NFSA) 

  • The National Food Security Act (NFSA) was enacted on July 5, 2013. 
  • It is an Indian Act of Parliament which aims to provide subsidized food grains. 
  • Its aim is to ensure that everyone everywhere has enough good-quality food to lead a healthy life at affordable prices.
  • It includes the Midday Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Services scheme and the Public Distribution System.
  • The Act legally entitled up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population to receive subsidized food grains under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
  • The Act ensures nutritional support to women and children. Pregnant and lactating women would be entitled to nutritious meals, free of charge under the MDM and ICDS schemes.
  • The Act covers two-thirds of the entire population under two categories of beneficiaries: Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households Priority Households (PHH).

Tanuja Nesari was awarded with the Ayurveda Ratna Award by the UK Parliament

Tanuja Nesari, Director of All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) was awarded with the Ayurveda Ratna Award by the UK Parliament.  

The UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Indian Traditional Sciences (ITSappg) conferred the award  for her contribution to promoting the growth of Ayurveda in India and abroad.

She has been honoured for her exceptional service of the highest order for the promotion of Ayurveda.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Indian Traditional Sciences was formed in 2014 with an aim to spread the knowledge of Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotish, Vastu, Unani and Sangeetam in United Kingdom and abroad.

States’ Start-up Ranking 2021 released 

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has released the 3rd edition of Ranking of States on Support to Startup Ecosystems. 

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has been conducting the States’ Start-up Ranking Exercise since 2018. The main objective is to facilitate the ease of building a start-up and doing business across the country.

Key Points

Evaluation Parameters: participants were evaluated across 7 broad Reform Areas consisting of 26 Action Points like– 

  • Institutional Support 
  • Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship 
  • Access to Market 
  • Incubation support
  • Funding Support
  • Mentorship Support
  • Capacity Building of Enablers

Participation: A total of 24 states and 7 Union Territories participated in the States’ Startup Ranking 2021 exercise. In States’ Startup Ranking 2020 exercise, only 25 states and UTs participated. 

Categorization: For the purposes of the States’ Startup Ranking, States and Union Territories are classified into 5 Categories, viz. 

  • Best Performers
  • Top Performers
  • Leaders 
  • Aspiring Leaders
  • Emerging Start-up Ecosystems

States’ Startup Ranking 2021 Results

  • Gujarat and Karnataka appeared as the Best Performers in the States category. 
  • Meghalaya top among UTs and North-eastern States category. 
  • Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa and Telangana won the Top Performers award among states category. 
  • Jammu and Kashmir appeared as the Top Performer among UTs and NE states category.
  • Assam, Punjab, Tamil Nādu, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh were adjudged the winners in the Leaders category among states.
  • Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa bagged the Leaders honour among the UTs and NE states. 
  • Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were declared as Aspiring Leadersamong the States. 
  • Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Puducherry and Tripura were the Aspiring Leaders from the UTs and NE states.
  • Andhra Pradesh and Bihar from States category and Mizoram and Ladakh from the UTs/NE States were clubbed under the Emerging Start-up Ecosystem.

Michelle Poonawalla bags the coveted Shiromani Award

Michelle Poonawalla received the coveted Shromani Award at the NRI World Summit 2022, the United Kingdom for her contribution to the field of Art.

Poonawalla also unveiled her artwork at JMS Foundation Charity Gala Dinner at The Dorchester in London. Her film ‘Reserve’ marks water scarcity as a global crisis and accentuated pollution and contamination of water reserves.

The Shiromani Award was also awarded to Shri Sadhu Bhramvihari, Lord Rami Ranger, Rita Hinduja Chhabria, Dr. Kamel Hothi OBE and Falguni Shane Peacock.

Shiromani Award 

  • The Shiromani Award was formed in 1977. 
  • The award has been bestowed on Mother Teresa, Chief Marshal Manekshaw, Raj Kapoor, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, PT Usha, Leander Paes, Vishwanathan Anand, The Dalai Lama, Jaya Bachchan and Asha Bhosle in the past. 

 

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 313: July 2022, Week 1 | Watch Quiz Video

Assam Current Affairs – July 01-03, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – July 01-03 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the July 01- 03, 2022)

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 313: July 2022, Week 1 | Watch Quiz Video

July 01-03, 2022

NITI Aayog and World Food Program Releases Report

NITI Aayog and World Food Program have released a report titled ‘Take Home Ration-Good Practices across the State/Union Territories’.

The report presents a set of good and innovative practices adopted in the implementation of the Take Home Ration value chain by the States and UTs. 

Key Points

  • In this report, various good practices at the State/UTs level have been identified and are documented which would serve as a guidebook to policymakers and administrators in strengthening their Take-Home Ration system.
  • Take-Home ration is provided by Government of India, under Supplementary Nutrition component of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).
  • It is provided to fill the gap in nutrition among children as well as Pregnant and Lactating Women (PLW).
  • To generate a document on good practices under the programme, aspects related to production, distribution, formulation, packaging, labelling, quality assurance, monitoring, and social & behavioural change have been reviewed. 
  • This document will help in adopting good practices in Take-Home Ration programmes across states and UTs.

Recommendations made by the report: 

  • In order to realize the full potential of the THR, all components of this value chain need to function at optimum. 
  • Building a robust system for procurement, supply chain management and monitoring that ensures complete transparency, standardized process, sustainability, full coverage, leverages local ties, fosters a culture of collaboration and builds trust within a community.

About World Food Program

  • The World Food Program was founded in 1961 by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) headquartered in Rome, Italy. 
  • It is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations. 
  • It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization in the world, saving lives in times of need and utilising food aid to help people recover from war, natural disasters, and the effects of climate change create a road to peace, stability, and prosperity. 
  • The WFP was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its efforts to provide food assistance in areas of conflict, and to prevent the use of food as a weapon of war and conflict.
  • It is is an executive member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.

India’s Largest Floating Solar Power Project Commissioned

Recently, the  National Thermal Power Corporation(NTPC) has commissioned India’s largest floating solar power project at Ramagundam, Telangana.

Key Points

  • It is a 100-megawatt(MW) floating solar power photovoltaic project commissioned by the National Thermal Power Corporation(NTPC).
  • It is endowed with advanced technology as well as environment friendly features.
  • The floating platform comprises a transformer, inverter and a HT breaker. 
  • The project spreads over 500 acres of its reservoir divided into 49 blocks and each block has a capacity of 2.5MW and each block comprises one floating platform and a matrix of 11,200 solar modules.
  • The solar modules are kept on floaters which are manufactured with HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) material.

Benefits of this project

  • Minimum land requirement mostly for associated evacuation arrangements.
  • With the presence of floating solar panels, the evaporation rate from water bodies is reduced, thus helping in water conservation. 
  • The water body underneath the solar modules helps in maintaining their ambient temperature, thereby improving their efficiency and generation.

World Cities Report 2022

Recently, United Nations-Habitat(UN-Habitat) has released the World Cities Report 2022. 

Key Points

  • The UN-Habitat World Cities Report 2022 highlights that, rapid urbanization in India was delayed temporarily due to the covid-19 pandemic.
  • According to the report, the urban population in India is estimated to reach 675 million in 2035. It will be the second-highest figure, behind China’s one billion. 
  • In lower income countries, existing urban populations continuing to increase naturally with increasing birth rates. Urban population is expected to grow from 56 percent of the world’s total in 2021 to 68 per cent by 2050.
  • In last two decades, India and China experienced rapid urbanisation and economic growth which led to massive reduction in the number of people living in poverty. 
  • India’s urban population is likely to reach 675,456,000 in 2035, as compared to 483,099,000 in 2020. 
  • The percentage of the population in urban areas of India will be 43.2 percent, by 2035.

About UN-Habitat

  • The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) was established in 1978 headquartered at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya. 
  • It is a member of the United Nations Development Group.
  • It is the United Nations programme for human settlements and sustainable urban development.
  • It is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. 

IIE, Guwahati signs MoU with IIM, Shillong to boost entrepreneurship ecosystem in North Eastern Region

The Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Incubation and Enterprise Support Centre of Indian Institute of Management Shillong (IIMS) to boost the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the North Eastern Region (NER).

Objectives

  • To encourage entrepreneurship, incubation, and startups in the North Eastern Region. 
  • To support professional development in the areas of management, entrepreneurship, and skill development.
  • To meet the larger demand for capacity building and entrepreneurship promotion in the North Eastern Region. 

By collaborating on this initiative, both institutes will benefit from each other’s strengths in promoting skill development in the NER and the country at large. 

The institutes will together conduct certified courses on entrepreneurship development and also train startups and incubates under the Incubation and Enterprise Support Centre, IIM Shillong. They will also promote educational lectures, workshops, exhibitions, and other knowledge dissemination programmes in the region. 

ISRO launches PSLV-C53 satellites 

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the PSLV-C53 with three Singapore Satellites onboard. 

Key Points 

  • PSLV-C53 is the second dedicated commercial mission of New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO. This was ISRO’s 55th mission of PSLV.
  • The rocket placed the three customer satellites in the precise orbit of 570 km with a 10 degree inclination.
  • The four-stage, 44.4-metre-tall rocket had a lift-off mass of 228.433 tonnes. 
  • The launch vehicle has carried three satellites – DS-EO, a 365 kg and NeuSAR, a 155 kg satellite and 2.8 kg Scoob-1 satellite. 
  • DS-EO carries an Electro-Optic, multi-spectral payload which will provide full colour images for land classification, and for serving humanitarian assistance and disaster relief needs. 
  • NeuSAR satellite will provide images in day and night and under all weather conditions and the Scoob-I satellite is the first satellite in the Student Satellite Series (S3-I), which is a hands-on student training programme.

Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022

Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued the Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022, under the Forest (conservation) Act, 1980.

Provisions of Forest (conservation) Rules 2022 

  • It constituted an Advisory Committee, a regional empowered committee and a screening committee at each of the integrated regional offices and a screening committee at State/Union Territory (UT) government-level.
  • The Advisory Committee is restricted to advise or recommend with regards to grant of approval under relevant sections in respect of proposals referred to it and any matter connected with the conservation of forests referred to it by the Central government.
  • Integrated Regional Office will be set up to examine all the linear projects (Highways and roads) on land up to 40 hectares and those projects using forest land up to 0.7 canopy density. These rules provide for a fixed time for reviewing each project quickly. 
  • States are given the responsibility of settling forest rights of forest dwellers (Forest Rights Act, 2006) and allowing diversion of forest land. They will also allow diversion of forest land. 
  • Compensatory afforestation (CA) will now be allowed in other states. If the state already has over two-thirds area under green cover or over one-third area under forest cover, then CA could be taken in other states/UTs where the cover is less than 20%.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)  has also proposed the removal of imprisonment as a penalty for the “less severe’’ contraventions and replace it with a monetary penalty. However, serious violations of EPA which lead to grievous injury or loss of life shall be covered under the provision of Indian Penal Code.

Sini Shetty crowned Femina Miss India 2022

Karnataka’s Sini Sadanand Shetty won the Femina Miss India 2022. She will now represent India at the 71st Miss World pageant. 

Sini Shetty hails from Karnataka. Shetty was born in Mumbai in 2001. The 21-yr-old, who holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and financing, is currently pursuing a course in Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

Femina Miss India 2022’s first runner-up is Rubal Shekhawat from Rajasthan, while the second runner-up is Shinata Chauhan, who hails from Uttar Pradesh.

Femina Miss India 2022 was the 58th edition of the Femina Miss India beauty pageant.

Raja Kumar has been appointed as the president of Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

T. Raja Kumar has been recently appointed as the president of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the anti-money laundering watchdog.

Raja Kumar, who hails from Singapore has replaced Marcus Pleyer. He will discharge his service for next two years. 

He has been working against global terror financing for quite a long time. As soon as he took over the charge, he presented his objectives for the coming Plenary period (July 2022 -June 2024) to strengthen the FATF. 

During the Singapore Presidency, the FATF will continue its core work of identifying and analysing money laundering and terrorist financing methods and trends, developing and refining the FATF Standards, and evaluating and supporting the assessments of countries within the Global Network.

About Financial Action Task Force

  • The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an intergovernmental organisation. Headquarters at Paris, France.
  • It is also known by its French name, Groupe d’action financière (GAFI).
  • It was founded in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering.
  • The objectives of FATF are to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
  • In 2001, its mandate was expanded to include terrorism financing.

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 313: July 2022, Week 1 | Watch Quiz Video

Assam Current Affairs – June 27-30, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – June 27-30 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the June 27- 30, 2022)

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – June 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 312: June 2022, Week 4 | Watch Video Quiz Video

June 27-30, 2022

Tapan Kumar Deka appointed as new Director of Intelligence Bureau

Tapan Deka has been appointed as the new Chief of the Intelligence Bureau for a tenure of two years. He will succeed incumbent Intelligence Bureau Director Arvind Kumar. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Tapan Kumar Deka.

About Tapan Kumar Deka

  • Tapan Deka, is a 1988 batch Himachal Pradesh Cadre officer.
  • He is currently serving as the Special Director of Intelligence Bureau and he is also in charge of counter-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
  • He has given preference to an officer over some four seniors in the Intelligence Bureau with the objective of adding more strength to the Intelligence Agency.

Global Liveability Index 2022

Recently, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) launched the Global Liveability Index for 2022. A total of 173 cities were ranked by EIU based on a range of criteria, including the availability of green space, infrastructure, crime rates, political stability, and health care.

Key points 

  • The first place on the list is acquired by Vienna followed by Copenhagen in second place and Zurich in third place.
  • The cities in India have fared poorly in the list of the world’s most liveable cities. India’s national capital New Delhi has been ranked 112th on the list while Mumbai is ranked at 117th position.
  • The Pakistani city of Karachi and Bangladesh capital Dhaka are among the least liveable cities in the world.
  • Several of the top 10 cities have the minimum COVID-19 rules. Museums, Schools, eateries, and shops have all resumed operations.

Top 10 liveable cities 

1.Vienna, Austria 

  1. Copenhagen, Denmark 
  2. Zurich, Switzerland 
  3. Calgary, Canada 
  4. Vancouver, Canada 
  5. Geneva, Switzerland
  6. Frankfurt, Germany 
  7. Toronto, Canada 
  8. Amsterdam, Netherlands 
  9. Osaka, Japan and Melbourne, Australia (tie)

Least 10 liveable cities 

Tehran, Iran 

Douala, Cameroon 

Harare, Zimbabwe 

Dhaka, Bangladesh 

Port Moresby, PNG 

Karachi, Pakistan 

Algiers, Algeria 

Tripoli, Libya 

Lagos, Nigeria 

Damascus, Syria

Nitin Gupta appointed as the new chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) 

Nitin Gupta has been appointed as the new Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) chairman. 

He is an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the 1986 batch of the Income Tax cadre, is currently serving as member (investigation) in the CBDT and is scheduled to retire in September next year.

 About Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) 

  • The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is the administrative body for the Income Tax department.
  • It was established as per the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963.
  • It is administered by the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance.
  • It is headed by a Chairman and can have six members who are in the rank of special secretary. 
  • It deals with matters related to levying and collecting Direct Taxes and formulation of various policies related to direct taxes.

Partners in the Blue Pacific’ initiative

Recently, the United States and allied countries namely Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have – launched a new initiative called ‘Partners in the Blue Pacific’ for “effective and efficient cooperation” with the region’s small island nations.

About Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP) 

  • It is an initiative of a five-nation “informal mechanism” to support Pacific islands and to boost diplomatic, economic ties in the region. 
  • It speaks of enhancing “prosperity, resilience, and security” in the Pacific through closer cooperation among the member nations. 
  • Member countries would cooperate in areas including climate crisis, transportation, connectivity, health, maritime security & protection, prosperity and education. 
  • The initiative members will “elevate Pacific regionalism”, and forge stronger ties with the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF).

Reasons behind the PBP Initiative 

  • As China signed a security pact with Solomon Islands, the deal flagged serious concerns about the Chinese military getting a base in the southern Pacific, close to the US island territory of Guam, and right next to Australia and New Zealand.
  • China’s quest to dominate crucial shipping lanes pushed 10 Pacific nations to endorse a game-changing agreement called the “Common Development Vision”. 
  • Common Development Vision is a comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development, to build a closer China-Pacific Island Countries community with a shared future. 
  • The vision is to follow cooperative and sustainable security measures and promote regional peace – strengthening dialogue and cooperation in governance and cybersecurity.

Efforts of the US and its allies to counter China

  • Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF):  US and its partners had launched “Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF)”  before the launch of Partners in the Blue Pacific Initiative. It is a trade-boosting framework, launched in association of 13 member countries; namely, Brunei, India, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Fiji.
  • G7 announced a plan- Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) to rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative by promising to raise 600 billion dollars to fund development projects in low and middle-income countries.
  • Asia-Africa Growth Corridor: A collaboration between India and Japan for development, connectivity, and cooperation between Asia and Africa.

Indian Army and DRDO successfully tests Ingeniously- developed Anti Tank Guided Missile

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested the final deliverable configuration of an indigenous Man Portable Antitank Guided Missile (MPATGM) 

The Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) was successfully test-fired from Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Army at KK Ranges with support of Armoured Corps Centre & School (ACC&S) Ahmednagar

The ATGM has been developed with multi-platform launch capability and is currently undergoing technical evaluation trials from the 120 mm rifled gun of MBT Arjun. 

With the trial, the ATGM’s capability to engage targets from minimum to maximum range has been established. Earlier trials have been successful for maximum range.

Vijay Amritraj honored with 2021 Golden Achievement Award

Vijay Amritraj has been named the 2021 recipient of the Golden Achievement. The award is annually presented by the International Tennis Hall of Fame and International Tennis Federation. 

He is the first recipient from India and he joins an esteemed list of tennis leaders who have received the honour, including Brian Tobin of Australia, Eiichi Kawatei of Japan, and Peachy Kellmeyer of the United States.

The Golden Achievement Award 

  • The award is selected from a pool of nominations submitted by tennis federations and individuals from around the world. 
  • The annual honouree is selected by the Golden Achievement Award Committee, which is comprised of tennis administrators. 

Iran and Argentina apply to join BRICS

Recently , Iran and Argentina submitted an application to become a full member of BRICS. As per Iran’s Foreign Minister Spokesperson, Iranian membership in BRICS will result in added values for both sides. 

BRICS is a grouping of 5 powerful economies joining which will provide Iran and Argentina an international platform to present their regional and economic issues. 

China hosted the most recent 14th BRICS summit on 24 June 2022 virtually. Theme of the 14th BRICS Summit is Foster High-quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development.

India is the chair for 2021.

About BRICS

  • BRICS is the acronym coined to associate five major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. 
  • In 2001, the British Economist Jim O’Neill coined the term BRIC to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
  • BRICS powers had their first summit in 2009 in Russia and South Africa joined in 2010.
  • The grouping was formalised during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers’ in 2006.

Ambubachi Mela 

Four-day Ambubachi Mela begins in Guwahati’s Kamakhya temple atop the Nilachal Hills. 

This annual festival is held in the middle of June, when the Brahmaputra River is at its highest flow, during the monsoon season, which also happens to fall within the Assamese month of Ahaar.

About Ambubachi Mela

  • The Ambubachi Mela is an annual Hindu mela held at Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam.
  • It is the celebration of the yearly menstruation course of goddess Kamakhya.
  • It is believed that the presiding goddess of the temple, Devi Kamakhya, the Mother Shakti, goes through her annual cycle of menstruation during this time stretch.
  • The temple remains closed for three days during the mela for it is believed that the goddess rests for three days like the traditional women’s menstrual seclusion. 
  • After three days devi Kamakhya is bathed and other rituals are performed to ensure that the devi retrieves her purity. Then the doors of the temple are reopened[and prasad is distributed.
  • On the fourth day the devotees are allowed to enter the temple and worship devi Kamakhya.

Salt Sector Crisis 

Recently, the Salt Industry is facing enormous challenges in meeting the demand and handling the crisis faced by salt farmers and workers.

Farmers are facing low prices as there is no minimum support price, Workers are also in distress due to a lack of a proper system for wages and social security.

Issues 

  • Indian Salt Manufacturers Association(ISMA) has demanded the classification of salt production as an agricultural activity under the Ministry of agriculture. 
  • This is because mining produces hardly 0.5% salt. 99.5% of salt is produced either from sea water or from subsoil water and the whole process is done by seeding, farming and harvesting. 
  • Unseasonal rains and floods are resulting in demand for Minimum Support Prices for the Salt industry. 
  • Salt companies have replaced cooperatives and they decide the wages of these workers and the production of farmers. Most of them are migrant labourers with no minimum wages or social security.
  • Moreover, projects such as Rann Sarovar, a freshwater lake construction project in 5,000 square kilometers of this area, will render about 50,000 people jobless.

Salt Industry in India 

  • India is the third producer of salt in the world next to the USA and China. 
  • Initially, the farmers were getting ₹ 17/per tonne which touched up to ₹70 by 1991.
  • Salt is a central subject listed as item number 58 of the Union List of the 7th Schedule of the Constitution.
  • Gujarat produces about 28.5 million tonnes of salt per year which is more than 80% of the country’s total production. 

Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – June 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 312: June 2022, Week 4 | Watch Video Quiz Video

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Assam Current Affairs – June 23-26, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – June 23-26 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the June 23- 26, 2022)

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – June 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 312: June 2022, Week 4 | Watch Video Quiz Video

June 23-26, 2022

India’s GSAT-24 satellite successfully launched

ISRO successfully launches India’s Communication satellite GSAT-24 satellite from Kourou in French Guiana (South America).  

GSAT-24, built by ISRO for New Space India Limited (NSIL), was launched by French company Arianespace. 

The satellite was successfully placed into geostationary orbit by the Ariane 5 rocket, operated by French company Arianespace, from Kourou in French Guiana (South America) .

GSAT-24 is a 24-Ku band communication satellite weighing 4180 kg with pan-India coverage for meeting DTH application needs. It was the first “demand driven” communication satellite mission undertaken by NSIL post space sector reforms.

New Space India Limited (NSIL) has leased the entire satellite capacity to Tata Play.

 Lisa Sthalekar becomes first woman president of international cricketers’ association

Former Australia international Lisa Sthalekar is the first woman appointed president of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations. Her appointment was made at a meeting of the organisation’s executive committee in Switzerland. 

She joins a shortlist of former cricketers including Barry Richards, Jimmy Adams and Vikram Solanki to have held the post of FICA president.

Sthalekar played for the Australian women’s team from 2001 to 2013 before becoming a broadcast commentator. She has also worked with the Australian Cricketers’ Association. 

India to Have its First-Ever Dark Sky Reserve in Ladakh

A part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary in Ladakh is going to become a Dark Sky Reserve, which will help promote astronomy-tourism and also give a boost to local tourism through science. 

The tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) Bengaluru and the Ladakh Administration and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh. 

About Dark-sky reserve (DSR)

  • A dark-sky Reserve (DSR) is an area, usually surrounding a park or observatory that restricts artificial light pollution.
  • The lighting protocol for a dark-sky reserve is based on the sensitivity of wildlife to artificial light at night. 
  • An International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) was founded in 1988 to reserve public or private land for an exquisite outlook of nocturnal territories and starry night skies.
  • In 1993, Michigan became the first state in the United States to designate a tract of land as a “Dark Sky Reserve” at the Lake Hudson State Recreation Area. 

First India-Nepal Bharat Gaurav tourist train flagged off from New Delhi

The first India-Nepal Bharat Gaurav tourist train was flagged off from the Safdarjung Railway Station in New Delhi. 

The train started its first Shri Ramayana Yatra for 18 days from June 21. It will provide an opportunity to people from across the countries to explore the architectural, historical and cultural marvels of the country.

About Bharat Gaurav tourist train

  • Bharat Gaurav trains is an attempt of showcasing the rich spiritual, cultural, and historical heritage of India to its people.
  • The train has 14 coaches and the exteriors of some of the coaches also promote various classical and folk dance forms, attires, popular festivals, delicacies of the country.
  • Every coach of the train has been designed as a kaleidoscope of ‘Pride of India’ highlighting the various facets of India such as monuments, cuisines, attires, festivals, flora and fauna, folk art etc. 
  • The Ramayana Circuit is one of the 15 thematic circuits identified for development under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of the Ministry of Tourism of India. 

Indira Gandhi International Airport has become the first airport in the country to run entirely on hydro and solar power

Indira Gandhi International Airport or Delhi Airport has become the first airport in the country to run entirely on hydro and solar power from this month.

It is a major step toward achieving the ambitious goal of becoming a Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport by 2030. 

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), a GMR Infrastructure Limited-led consortium, which manages and operates the Delhi Airport, has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with a Himachal Pradesh-based hydropower producing company for the supply of hydroelectricity for the airport until 2036.

Key points

  • Approximately 6 percent of the airport’s electricity requirement is met from the onsite solar power plants while as much as 94 percent of the total demand is now being met through renewable energy use from the hydropower plant since June 1, thus ending its dependency on non-renewable power. 
  • DIAL has been working relentlessly towards environmental sustainability and has set its target to make Delhi Airport a Net Zero Carbon Emission airport by 2030, way ahead of the global target of 2050. To achieve this, DIAL has adopted a Green Transportation program recently and now we achieved another milestone of the Green Energy Program.

Parameswaran Iyer appointed as CEO of NITI Aayog

Parameswaren Iyer has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog for 2 years. He will succeed Amitabh Kant.

About Parameswaren Iyer

  • Parameswaren Iyer, a 1981-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre and a well-known sanitation specialist.
  • He entered the Indian Administrative Service in 1981 and took voluntary retirement in 2009 to join the water and sanitation initiatives at the World Bank. 
  • In 2016, Iyer returned to India and was appointed by the government to head the drinking and sanitation department and lead the Swachh Bharat Mission.
  • In 2021, Iyer resigned as Secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation at the Jal Shakti Ministry.

Ruth Ozeki wins Women’s Prize for Fiction

Renowned US-Canadian author, film-maker, and Zen Buddhist priest Ruth Ozeki has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction this year for her novel ‘The Book of Form and Emptiness’.

Ozeki’s fourth novel, ‘The Book of Form and Emptiness’ tells the story of a thirteen-year-old boy who, after the tragic death of his father, starts to hear the voices of objects speaking to him. 

She was announced as the winner of the £30,000 prize at a ceremony in London, beating nominees including Elif Shafak, Meg Mason and Louise Erdrich.

Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – June 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 312: June 2022, Week 4 

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Assam Current Affairs – June 19-22, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – June 19-22 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the June 19- 22, 2022)

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – June 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 311: June 2022, Week 3 | Watch Video Quiz Video

June 19-22, 2022

Mongolia’s Khuvsgul lake added to UNESCO Biosphere Reserves

Khuvsul Lake National Park of Mangolia has been added to the World Network of Biosphere Reserve of UNESCO. 

The World Network of Biosphere Reserves by UNESCO covers internationally designated protected areas called biosphere reserves. These reserves are meant to demonstrate a balanced relationship between nature and people. They are created under Man and the Biosphere Programme.

About Khuvsgul Lake

  • The Khuvsgul Lake is located in northern Mongolian province of Khuvsgul, near to Russian border. 
  • It is the largest fresh water lake of Mongolia, by volume. In terms of area, it is the second largest lake in Mongolia. 
  • It holds 70 per cent of freshwater of Mongolia or accounts for 0.4 per cent of world’s total. 
  • This lake is located around 1645 meters above the sea level. It is a 135 km long and 262-meter-deep lake. 
  • A total of nine sites from Mongolia have so far been registered in the network, according to the ministry. 
  • The lake is located at about 200 km west of Lake Baikal. It is nicknamed as “Younger sister” of two “sister lakes”. It freezes over completely in winter.

Sunil Chhetri becomes joint 5th highest goalscorer in international football history

Indian Men’s football team captain, Sunil Chhetri became the joint fifth highest goalscorer in international football history.

He scored his 84th goal during their AFC Asian Cup Qualifier clash against Hong Kong . 

He has now equalled legendary Real Madrid and Hungarian player Ferenc Puskas goals scoring exploits on the international level. 

Earlier in October 2021, Chhetri also surpassed legendary football player Pele’s record of 77 goals. He is now third on the list of active international goalscorers, just behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi.

China launches third aircraft carrier Fujian

China launched its third aircraft carrier  named ‘Fujain’, the country’s most advanced as well as the first “fully domestically” built naval vessel.

The launching ceremony for the carrier named Fujian was held in Shanghai’s Jiangnan shipyard.

The third aircraft carrier built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation Ltd is equipped with electromagnetic catapults and arresting devices.The aircraft carrier has the name of China’s eastern coastal province of Fujian. 

China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was a refit of a Soviet-era ship commissioned in 2012, followed by the indigenously built second aircraft carrier Shandong in 2019.

Neeraj Chopra wins gold at Kuortane Games in Finland

Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal with a best throw of 86.69m at the 2022 Kuortane Games in Finland.

Keshorn Walcott won silver with a throw of 86.64m. Peters was third with a throw of 84.75m. 

Sandeep Chaudhary, who was also training at the Kuortane Olympic Training Centre along with Chopra, also took part in the competition and finished eighth with a best throw of 60.35m.

PM eVidya wins UNESCO’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize

The “PM eVidya” scheme has been awarded with the UNESCO’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICT in Education for the year 2021. 

Key points

  • The “PM eVidya” scheme has been initiated as part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan by the  the Ministry of Education in  2020. 
  • The scheme unifies all efforts related to digital/online/on-air education to enable multi-mode access for imparting education by using technology to minimise losses.
  • It offers multifarious educational resources in multi-platform mode viz., digital / online, TV, radio, community radio, podcast, etc.

About UNESCO’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize

  • Established in 2005, with the help of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
  • The award recognises innovative approaches in leveraging new technologies in a bid to expand educational and lifelong learning opportunities for all. It is in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Goal 4 on Education. 
  • It rewards individuals and organisations which are implementing outstanding projects and promoting creative use of technologies to enhance teaching, learning, and overall educational performance in digital age.
  • Each prize winner receives US$ 25,000, a medal and a diploma during a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris”, which this year will be held on 24th June, 2022.

West Seti Power Project

India will be taking over an ambitious hydropower project in Nepal West Seti nearly four years after China withdrew from it. 

India’s National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) has already begun preliminary engagement of the site in far-western Nepal following the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Lumbini.

Key points

  • It is a proposed 750-megawatt Hydropower Project, which is to be built on the Seti river in far-western Nepal.
  • West Seti and Seti River, a joint storage project, with the capacity to generate 1,200 megawatts of electricity. 
  • This storage or reservoir will fill up during the monsoon season and the water will be drawn to generate power during peak hours each day in the dry season. 

India-Nepal Power relations

  • Mahakali treaty was signed back in 1996, to produce 6,480 MW, but India has still not been able to come out with the Detailed project Report. 
  • The Upper Karnali project, for which the multinational GMR signed the contract, has not made any headway for years. 
  • Three cross-border transmission lines were completed recently with GoI assistance: 400 kV Muzaffarpur-Dhalkebar line (2016); 132 kV Kataiya-Kusaha and Raxaul-Parwanipur lines (2017).
  • India’s success in executing the 900-MW Arun Three project in eastern Nepal’s Sankhuwa Sabha, and whose foundation was laid in 2018 and which is set for completion by 2023 has helped build faith in India recently.

The Union government launched a new scheme called “Agnipath” for recruitment of youth in the armed forces

The government has recently unveiled its new Agnipath scheme for recruiting soldiers across the three services. Recruited Soldiers will be called “Agniveers”. 

About Agnipath Scheme 

Agneepath Army Bharti Scheme is a central government scheme for all Indian candidates.  Through Agnipath, one can serve in the combat forces and approximately 45,000 to 50,000 soldiers will be recruited every year for the service term of just four years.

After completion of the tenure, 25% of Agniveers will be retained or re-enlisted into regular cadre. 75% will be demobilised with an exit package.  This has sparked protests because protestors are of the view that, this scheme will limit the opportunities for permanent jobs in defence forces, that provide fixed salaries, pensions along with other benefits. 

Central Government has explained to the youths that, youths will get a generous exit package of Rs 11.71 lakh, after four years. They will be given priority in government services like CAPFs, state police forces.  However, to calm down the protestors, government has introduced several changes to the new scheme.

The Ministry of Home Affairs had announced a 10% reservation for Agniveers in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Assam Rifles, after completing four years. Thus, the upper age limit for CAPFs now stands at 26 years.

Government has also increased the upper-age limit for recruitment to 23 years from 21 years for 2022. 

The National institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) under Department of school education, has announced to start a special programme, to enable 10th pass Agniveers to further their education and obtain 12th class pass certificate through customised courses.

The education ministry also announced a special, three-year skill-based bachelor’s degree programme for serving defence personnel that will recognize the skill training received by Agniveers during their tenure in the defence establishments.

International Day of Yoga

The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated across the world annually on June 21 since 2015 to spread awareness about the benefits of yoga. This year it is the 8th edition of the International Yoga Day. This year’s theme : ‘Yoga for Humanity’.

The International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga. 

Yoga is a group of physical, mental and spiritual exercises which originated in ancient India, involves mindful and controlled breathing and various body movements to rejuvenate the body and calm the mind. 

It emphasises the values of mindfulness, moderation, discipline and perseverance.

The idea of an International Day of Yoga, initially proposed by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and was promoted by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2014.

Ruchira Kamboj named as next Permanent Representative of India to the UN

Ruchira Kamboj has been appointed as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations at New York. Currently she is Indian ambassador to Bhutan

She will succeed TS Tirumurti and is expected to take up the assignment shortly as the Indian ambassador to the United Nation. 

About Ruchira Kamboj

  • She joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1987, was the All India women’s topper of the 1987 Civil Services batch and the topper of the 1987 Foreign Service batch.
  • She began her diplomatic journey in Paris, France, where she was posted as the Third Secretary in the Indian Embassy to France from 1989-91 and learnt French there. 
  • She has been Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO in Paris, Indian High Commissioner in South Africa, and Chief of Protocol in New Delhi. 
  • From 2011-2014, she was India’s Chief of Protocol, the first and only woman diplomat so far in the Indian government to have held this position. 
  • She has also served in Mauritius, Cape Town in South Africa as India’s Consul General, and at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.

Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – June 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 311: June 2022, Week 3 | Watch Video Quiz Video

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Assam Current Affairs – June 17-18, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – June 17-18 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the June 17- 18, 2022)

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – June 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 311: June 2022, Week 3 | Watch Quiz Video

June 17-18, 2022

World Competitiveness Index 2022

Institute for Management Development recently released the annual World Competitive Index 2022. India ranked 37th as per World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY). 

Key points

  • India has witnessed the sharpest rise among the Asian economies, with a six-position jump from 43rd to 37th rank, mainly due to gains in economic performance.
  • Denmark has topped the 2022 ranking featuring a 63-nations list from the third position last year.
  • Switzerland dropped from the top position to second position and Singapore regained the third spot from fifth.
  • Others in the top 10 include Sweden at the fourth position, followed by Hong Kong SAR (5th), the Netherlands (6th), Taiwan (7th), Finland (8th), Norway (9th) and the USA (10th).

About World Competitiveness Index

  • The World Competitiveness Yearbook is an annual report published by the Swiss-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD) on the competitiveness of nations and has been published since 1989.
  • It examines and assesses countries based on how effectively they manage their competencies in order to create long-term value.
  • Based on a comprehensive study, it provides benchmarks as well as patterns, and also statistics, and survey data.

Haryana- Israel sign joint declaration on Water Management

Recently, the government of Haryana and Israel have signed a joint declaration in the field of integrated water resources management and capacity building as India and Israel are celebrating 30 years of full diplomatic relations. 

Key points

  • Under the agreement, the government of Haryana and Israel expressed their willingness to strengthen existing relations in the water management sector, improve public health in the region and preserve water resources in public water areas in Haryana. 
  • Both the countries also seek to cooperate and coordinate efforts in protecting the water resources.
  • Israel will share its most advanced and cutting-edge water technologies, expertise and know-how with the government of Haryana. 
  • Israel will work closely with all of its partners in India, in order to continue enhancing the strategic relations between both the countries.

India successfully test-fired Prithvi-II Ballistic Missile 

India has successfully test-fired its indigenously developed, nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile from an integrated test range in Chandipur, Odisha. 

This missile is an indigenously developed, surface-to-surface missile. Its range is 350 km and can carry one-ton payload. The system is capable of striking targets with a very high degree of precision. 

About Prithvi-II 

  • The missile is capable of carrying 500-1,000 kilogram of warheads.
  • It is powered by liquid propulsion twin engines.
  • It uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvering trajectory to hit its target
  • The missile was randomly chosen from the production stock and the entire launch was carried out by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the Army and monitored by the scientists of the DRDO as part of a training exercise. 
  • The missile trajectory was tracked by radars, electro-optical tracking systems and telemetry stations by the DRDO along the coast of Odisha. 
  • The downrange teams onboard the ship deployed near the designated impact point in the Bay of Bengal monitored the terminal events and splashdown.

Centre to set up ‘PM Shri Schools’ to prepare students for future

The Centre is planning to set up “PM Shri Schools” that will aim at preparing students for future and will be the laboratory of new National Education Policy (NEP). 

Key points

  • PM Shri Schools will fully equip the students with 21st-century knowledge and skills to prepare them for the future. 
  • The steps for preparing global citizens of the 21st century are, 5+3+3+4 approach of the NEP covering pre-school to secondary school, Emphasis on Early Childhood Care & Education Program (ECCE), Teacher training & adult education, Integration of skill development with school education and Prioritising learning in the mother tongue. 
  • Best practices in education coming from different states and UTs will act as a cumulative force in transforming India’s youth as ‘Vishwa-Manavs’ (global citizens).

Coursera Global Skills Report 2022

  • India ranked 68th – As per the Coursera Global Skills Report (GSR) 2022. The report states that India’s proficiency in data science has reduced from 38% in 2021 to 26% in 2022, leading to a 12-rank drop. 
  • In terms of overall skills proficiency, India has slipped 4 places to be ranked 68th globally and 19th in Asia. 
  • However, the report states that India has improved its technology proficiency levels from 38% to 46%, improving its position by six spots. 

Key points

  • West Bengal leads the Indian states in terms of skills proficiency with the state showing the highest levels of digital skills proficiency in the country. 
  • Andhra Pradesh is among the top three performing states with high proficiency in business and technology skills.
  • The report is based on the data collected from over 100 million Coursera users from over 100 countries who learned a new skill during the past year.

 

FIFA announces 2026 World Cup venues across U.S., Canada and Mexico

  • FIFA announces matches for the 2026 World Cup will be held in 11 US cities as well as three host sites in Mexico and two in Canada.
  • The 16 host cities will be: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver.

Key points

  • It will be the first time that 48 teams will feature in the tournament, an increase from the 32 that will contest in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 from November 21 – December 18. 
  • Sixty matches will take place in the US, including all matches from the quarter-finals onward, while Canada and Mexico will host 10 games each.

India’s first desalination plant for industries inaugurated in Dahej

  • India’s first government desalination plant only for industrial use was inaugurated at Dahej in Bharuch.
  • The seawater desalination plant with a capacity of 100 MLD (million litres per day) has been set up by the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) with an investment of Rs 881 crore.
  • The plant can desalinate 100 million litres of water per day. It will supply water to the industries in the area. The price of 1,000 litres of treated water will be Rs 26.” 

Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – June 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 311: June 2022, Week 3 | Watch Quiz Video

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Assam Current Affairs – June 15-16, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – June 15-16 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the June 15- 16, 2022)

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – June 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 311: June 2022, Week 3 | Watch Quiz Video

June 15-16, 2022

PM Modi inaugurates underground ‘Gallery of Revolutionaries’ at Maharashtra Raj Bhavan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated an underground ‘Gallery of Revolutionaries’ museum dedicated to the luminaries of the freedom struggle, at the Raj Bhavan.

The gallery includes information on the freedom movement heroes, their role in the movement, sculptures, rare photographs, murals and details on tribal revolutionaries drawn by school-kids.

The gallery has come up in the subterranean network of 13 pre-World War-I British era bunkers, discovered in the Raj Bhavan campus in August 2016 during the tenure of the then Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao.

Russia becomes India’s 2nd biggest oil supplier

Russia has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become India’s second-biggest supplier of oil behind Iraq as refiners snap up Russian crude available at a deep discount following the war in Ukraine. 

Key points

  • After the U.S. and China, India is the world’s third-largest consumer of oil, over 85 percent of which is imported. 
  • India has taken advantage of discounted prices to ramp up oil imports from Russia at a time when global energy prices have been rising.
  • Iraq remained the top supplier to India and Saudi Arabia is now the third biggest supplier.

Neeraj Chopra Sets New National Record With 89.30 Metre Javelin Throw at Paavo Nurmi Games

Neeraj Chopra set a new national record as he threw 89.30 metres at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland. 

He shattered his previous record of 88.07 m which he had set in Patiala in March last year. 

Despite setting a new record, Neeraj couldn’t take the gold as he ended up second in the contest. Finland’s Oliver Helander went ahead with a throw of 89.83 metres.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Biotech Startup Expo – 2022

Prime Minister Shri Narendra inaugurates the Biotech Startup Expo – 2022 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.  It is a two day event being held on 9th and 10th June. The theme of the Expo is ‘Biotech Startup Innovations: Towards AatmaNirbhar Bharat’. 

It is being organised by the Department of Biotechnology and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) to mark completion of ten years of setting up of BIRAC. 

The Expo will act as a platform to connect entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, scientists, researchers, bio-incubators, manufacturers, regulators, government officials, etc.

UNGA adopts India-sponsored resolution on multilingualism

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted an India-led resolution on multilingualism mentioning Hindi language for the first time. The resolution also mentions Bangla and Urdu for the first time.

The resolution passed encourages the UN to continue disseminating important communications and messages in official as well as in non-official languages, including in Hindi language. 

Key points: 

  • India has been coordinating with the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC) since 2018 by consolidating news and multimedia content in Hindi languages and providing extra-budgetary contribution to the mainstream. 
  • As part of these efforts, ‘Hindi @ UN’ project was launched in 2018 with an objective to enhance the public outreach of the United Nations in the Hindi language, and to spread greater awareness about global issues among millions of Hindi-speaking populations around the world. 
  • Multilingualism is an essential factor in harmonious communication among peoples and an enabler of multilateral diplomacy. It ensures effective participation of all in the Organization’s work, as well as greater transparency and efficiencies and better outcomes.
  • Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the six official languages of the United Nations; English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

India ranks third in Renewable Energy Installations in 2021

India ranked third in renewable energy installations in 2021, after China and Russia as per Renewable 2022 Global status report.

The report was published by REN21 (Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century).

Highlights of the Report

  • India increased its hydroelectric capacity by 843 MW in 2021, bringing the total to 45.3 GW.
  • India was the second largest market in Asia for new solar PV capacity and third globally (13 GW of additions in 2021).
  • India ranked fourth for total installations (60.4 GW), overtaking Germany (59.2 GW) for the first time.
  • India ranked third globally for the total installed capacity of wind power (40.1 GW), behind China, the US and Germany.

About REN21 (Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century)

  • It is a think tank and a multistakeholder governance group launched in June 2004 as an outcome of the International Conference for Renewable Energies in Bonn, Germany.
  • It aims to facilitate policy development, knowledge exchange, and joint action towards a rapid global transition to renewable energy.
  • It brings together governments, non-governmental organisations, research and academic institutions, international organisations, and industry to learn from one another and advance the adoption of renewable energy.

New species of bamboo-dwelling bat found in Meghalaya

  • Scientists have discovered a new species of bamboo-dwelling bat named Glischropus meghalayanus in Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya.
  • The species was found near the forested patch of Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary. This discovery is the first report of a thick-thumbed bat not only from India but also from South Asia. 
  • Thick-thumbed bats of the genus Glischropus are currently composed of four recognized species from Southeast Asia, two of which were described in recent times. 
  • The species is small in size and has a dark brown colour with a sulphur-yellow belly. 
  • Bamboo-dwelling bats are a particular kind of bats living in the internodes of bamboos with specialised morphological characters that help them to adopt to the life inside a bamboo.  With this new discovery, the total number of bat species known from India stands at 131.
  • Meghalaya harbours the highest bat diversity in the country with 67 species, which is about 51% of total bat species in the country.

India ranked 7th in the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) 2021

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), India ranked 7th among the top recipients of foreign direct investment (FDI) 2021.  

Highlights of the Report

  • India is ranked seventh despite a 30% decline in foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country.
  • The United States ($367 billion) remained the top recipient of FDI. 
  • China ($181 billion) and Hong Kong ($141 billion) also retained second and third position respectively.
  • In its latest World Investment Report, UNCTAD said FDI inflows intoIndia declined to $45 billion in 2021 from $64 billion in the preceding year. 
  • Outward FDI from India rose 43 percent to $15.5 billion in 2021.

About United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

  • It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964 as an intergovernmental organization. It is part of the UN Secretariat. 
  • It aims to formulate policies relating to all aspects of development including trade, aid, transport, finance and technology. 
  • It reports to the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, but has its own membership, leadership, and budget. 

Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – June 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 311: June 2022, Week 3 | Watch Quiz Video

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Assam Current Affairs – June 13-14, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – June 13-14 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the June 13- 14, 2022)

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – June 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 310: June 2022, Week 2 | Watch video explanation

June 13-14, 2022

Rhino reintroduction in Assam

According to the last census, the one-horned rhinos of Assam’s Manas National Park, have an age structure pyramid, indicating higher life expectancy but need translocation support.

Key findings of the 14th Assam rhino estimation

  • The rhino census was carried out in all three ranges: Bhuyanpara, Bansbari and Panbari comprising 71 estimation blocks. 
  • The current rhino population in the park was estimated at 40. 
  • The park’s rhinos have a male-female sex ratio of 1:1. 
  • The number of calves born in the wild reflects the availability of welfare factors to foster rhinos in Manas National Park. 

Methodology: Rhino census was carried out by ‘Total count or Direct count method’. Total count method is preferred, when a single species is targeted to be counted in specific area. This method assumes detection probability as one, meaning that every animal has a 100% chance of being seen during counting period.

Limitations of this method: Undercounting as the assumption of a detection probability of 1 is unrealistic.

Total count requires high visibility to observe the animals from far off, which is not possible in case of “shy, cryptic animals”. The level of precision cannot be measured in total counts either.

Reasons for translocation: The one-horned rhinos of western Assam’s Manas National Park, bordering Bhutan, have an age structure pyramid, indicating higher life expectancy and significant growth in the population. 

The Indian side of the park does not have a wider representation of calves and sub-adults to sustain the population structure unless it is supplemented through conservation translocations.

National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment 2021 Report

Recently, the Minister of State of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions released the second edition of the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) 2021. 

Key Findings 

  • Amongst all the States and UTs, Kerala had the highest overall compliance score. 
  • Among Union Territories, Jammu & Kashmir ranked the highest with an overall compliance of nearly 90%.
  • Among the North-East and Hill States, Meghalaya and Nagaland are the leading State Portals with an overall compliance of more than 90% across all assessment parameters. 
  • Among the Remaining States, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh had a compliance of more than 85%. 
  • Among the focussed Central Ministries, Home Affairs, Rural Development, Education, and Environment, Forest & Climate Change are the leading Ministry Portals with an overall compliance of more than 80% across all assessment parameters. 
  • Ministry Portal of Home Affairs had the highest overall compliance score. 
  • The Central Public Procurement Portal, Digital Police Portal, and Bhavishya Portal are the leading Ministry Services Portals with an overall compliance of more than 85% across all assessment parameters.

About National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA)

  • National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) is a biennial study that assesses States, Union Territories (UTs), and focuses on Central Ministries on the effectiveness of e-Governance service delivery.
  • Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) had constituted the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) in 2019 as part of its mandate to boost the e-government endeavours and drive digital government excellence. 
  • It helps the respective governments improve their delivery of citizen centric services and shares best practices across the country for all States, UTs and Central Ministries to emulate.
  • The assessment covered 56 mandatory services for each States & UTs and 27 services for the focus Central Ministries.
  • It covers services across seven sectors – Finance, Labour & Employment, Education, Local Governance & Utility Services, Social Welfare, Environment and Tourism sectors.

World Day Against Child Labour 2022

World Day Against Child Labour is observed on June 12, every year to raise awareness regarding detrimental consequences of the Child Labour. 

The theme for 2022 is “Universal Social Protection to End Child Labour”. It calls for investments into social safety nets and programs to protect children from being forced into child labour.

The day was first launched in 2002 with the aim of raising awareness and activism to prevent child labour. The day is held every year in a bid to foster movement against child labour worldwide. 

The day focuses on providing dignity to the life of children affected by child labour and ensuring support for their education, medical services and other needs. 

India’s first COVID-19 vaccine Anocovax launched for animals 

The Ministry of Agriculture has launched the country’s first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine “Anocovax” for animals. It was developed by Haryana-based ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (NRC). 

About Anocovax Vaccine

Anocovax is an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Delta (COVID-19) vaccine for animals. 

This vaccine is effective and capable of neutralising both Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2.

The vaccine contains inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (Delta) antigen with Alhydrogel as an adjuvant.

This vaccine is safe for dogs, lions, leopards, mice and rabbits.

India’s first display manufacturing plant to be set up in Telangana

The Telangana government signed an MoU with Karnataka-based Elest for the proposed fabrication unit with an investment worth Rs 24,000 crore. It will be set up under the India Semiconductor Mission Programme of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.

Elest was incorporated specifically for the purpose of manufacturing next generation displays for smartphones, tablet computers, and laptops. It would set up the display fabrication unit with technology inputs from and in technological association with most advanced and finest research centres worldwide.

The government is confident that the setting up of the Gen6 AMOLED Display manufacturing facility will generate a global interest and ensure future technology growth in our country.

India’s life expectancy rose to 69.7

India’s life expectancy at birth has reached up to 69.7 during 2015-2019, data from the sample registration system (SRS) shows. The data released by the demographic survey. 

Key Findings 

  • Data suggests that high under-five mortality and infant mortality could be one of the reasons that India finds it difficult to increase life expectancy at birth. 
  • Gap between life expectancy at birth and life expectancy at one year or five year is largest in states like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, where there is highest infant mortality rate (IMR). 
  • Madhya Pradesh has the highest IMR of 43. Uttar Pradesh has second highest IMR of 38, and the life expectancy on completion of first year, increased the highest by 3.4 years. 
  • Gaps between life expectancy at birth and at year one can also be witnessed in states like Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Assam, Gujarat, and Odisha.
  • India has added 20 years to its life expectancy at birth from 49.7 in 1970-75 to 69.7 in 2015-2019.
  • Among states, Odisha has seen the highest rise from 45.7 to 69.8, followed by Tamil Nadu, where it has increased from 49.6 to 72.6. 
  • Uttar Pradesh, having had the lowest life expectancy at birth of just 43 years in 1970-75 has increased to 65.6 in 2015-2019 – albeit ranking the second lowest life expectancy after Chhattisgarh’s 65.3.
  • The data shows a considerable divide in life expectancy at birth across states and between urban and rural areas. 
  • Urban women in Himachal Pradesh had the highest life expectancy at birth of 82.3 years while at the other end, rural men in Chhattisgarh had the lowest, just 62.8 years, a gap of 15.8 years. 
  • In Assam, the gap in life expectancy between rural and urban areas is nearly eight years, followed by Himachal Pradesh with a five-year gap.
  • Bihar and Jharkhand remained the only states where male life expectancy was higher than for women in both urban and rural areas. 
  • Kerala is the only state where the rural life expectancy at birth was higher than urban for both women and men. 

Haryana won Khelo India Youth Games 2021

Haryana won the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2021 title with 52 gold medals which was held at Panchkula, Haryana. This was Haryana’s second KIYG title. 

Haryana won the inaugural title in 2018 but finished second to Maharashtra in the next two seasons. This was the fourth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games.

Key Points

  • Haryana topped the medal tally with a total of 137 medals with 52 gold, 39 silver and 46 bronze medals. 
  • Maharashtra finished second with a total of 125 medals, including 45 gold, 40 silver and 40 bronze medals.
  • Karnataka with 22 gold, 17 silver and 28 bronze medals finished third with 67 medals.

Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – June 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 310: June 2022, Week 2 | Watch video explanation

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