Current Affairs Assam – December 8 - 14, 2018
( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of December 8-14, 2018 )
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December 8
Manju Baruah, the first woman manager in Assam’s tea garden history
- For the first time in the nealy-200-year-old history of commercial tea cultivation in Assam, the industry has got a woman garden manager.
- Manju Baruah, who is currently serving as garden manager for Apeejay Tea’s Hilika Tea Estate at Doomdooma in Tinsukia district.
- Terming managerial responsibilities in tea gardens as a big challenge that also involves a lot of tedious outdoor duties, Manju said that her love for the outdoors and adventure since childhood served her in good stead in discharging her responsibilities.
Myanmar‘s Sittwe Port in ready for operations
- Sittwe Port in Myanmar, being administered by the Ministry of External Affairs under the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project to facilitate connectivity between the mainland and the north eastern States of the country is “ready” for operations.
- The project was jointly identified by India and Myanmar to create a multi-modal mode of transport for shipment of cargo from mainland India to Myanmar as well as to the northeastern part of India through Myanmar.
- The Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project will connect Sittwe Port in Myanmar to the India-Myanmar border, is expected to contribute to the economic development of the northeastern States by opening up the sea route for goods.
- It will reduce pressure on the Siliguri Corridor, and since the project is of political and strategic significance, it was decided to execute it through India’s grant assistance to Myanmar.
K Subramanian appointed as Chief Economic Adviser (CEA)
- Union Government appointed ISB Hyderabad professor Krishnamurthy Subramanian as Chief Economic Adviser for a period of three years. The post of CEA had been lying vacant since Arvind Subramanaian left the post.
- An IIT-IIM alumnus, Subramanian holds PhD (Financial Economics) from Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, the US. He has served on the expert committees on Corporate Governance and on Governance of Banks. He was a member of SEBI’s standing committees on Alternative Investment Policy, Primary Markets, Secondary Markets and Research. He is also on the boards of Bandhan Bank, the National Institute of Bank Management, and the RBI Academy.
- The key responsibilities of the CEA include providing policy inputs on industrial development and foreign trade, conducting analysis of trends in industrial production and releasing statistical information on key economic indicators.
Google announces ‘Journalism AI’ project
- To help news industry use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in more innovative ways, Google has announced a partnership with Polis, the international journalism think-tank at London School of Economics and Political Science, to create “Journalism AI”.
- Part of the Google News Initiative (GNI), the “Journalism AI” project will focus on research and training for newsrooms on the intersection of AI and journalism.
- The Asia-Pacific Google News Initiative (GNI) Innovation Challenge will fund selected projects up to $300,000 and finance up to 70 per cent of the total project cost, that inject new ideas into the news industry.
Germany offers support to rebuild Kerala
- The German government has offered help in the form of grants, loans at low rates of interest and by participating in specific projects to rebuild Kerala which was devastated after the worst ever floods in August.
- Martin Ney, the German Ambassador to India, said Germany was ready to support the state by contributing to the “Rebuild Kerala” initiative.
- Had talks with the Centre and have offered to provide up to Rs 720 crore under low interest loans to promote climate-resilient reconstruction of bridges and roads in Kerala.
- Along with this aRs 24 crore grant for technical support that will provide international expertise in the field of infrastructure planning.
- The support for infrastructure development will be through the German Development Bank KfW, who will ink an agreement with the Kerala government.
- The talks with the Centre took place in Delhi last week when they decided to include Kerala in discussions about 190 different projects that Germany was supporting in various states.
- The German government is also working on a study on floating solar sites at two dams in the state.
- The other programme is aRs 40 crore grant funded project that will be done at selected 43 places which will help reduce vulnerability to climate change of small farmers through watershed development projects.
FAO approves 2023 as International Year of Millets
- The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has approved India’s proposal to observe an International Year of Millets in 2023.
- Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh had made the demand in August this year, which has been accepted by the ongoing FAO Council in Rome.
- Millets consist of Jowar, Bajra, Ragi and minor millets, together termed as nutri-cereals.
- The development will enhance global awareness to bring back these nutri-cereals to the plate, for food and nutrition security and for increasing production to face the challenges posed by climate change, globally.
- In addition, the Council also approved India’s membership to the Executive Board of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) for 2020 and 2021.
FACTFILE – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
- FAO is also a source of knowledge and information, and helps developing countries in transition modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices, ensuring good nutrition and food security for all.
- As of August 2018, The FAO has 197 member states.
- Headquarters – Rome, Italy
- Head – José Graziano da Silva
India expected to receive total remittance of $80 billion in 2018
- India is expected to receive a total remittance of $80 billion in 2018, said the latest edition of the World Bank’s Migration and Development Brief, released on 8th
- Among major remittance recipients, India retains its top spot, with remittances expected to total $80 billion this year, followed by China ($67 billion), Mexico and the Philippines ($34 billion each), and Egypt ($26 billion).
- As global growth is projected to moderate, future remittances to low and middle-income countries are expected to grow moderately by 4 per cent to reach $549 billion in 2019. Global remittances are expected to grow 3.7 per cent to $715 billion in 2019.
- According to the brief, remittance flows rose in all regions and was driven by a stronger economy and employment situation in the US and a rebound in outward flows from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the Russian Federation.
December 9
CM Prema Khandu launches Arunachal Pradesh’s ‘Shi Yomi ‘ as 23rd district
- Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu inaugurated the newly created Shi Yomi district, the 23rd district in the State, bordering China.
- Headquartered at Tato, the new district, comprising of four administrative Circles viz. Mechuka, Tato, Pidi and Manigong, was bifurcated from West Siang district.
- The State Assembly had passed the Arunachal Pradesh (Reorganisation of Districts) (Amendment) Bill, 2018 in the last House session paving the way for creation of Shi Yomi district, along with two other districts.
- Thanking the people for donating land for government establishments for free, the Chief Minister urged to set priorities right as the government can’t afford lavish spending. He also promised that in the coming Budget session, provision for funds for the development of infrastructure will be kept.
India’s first artificial heart valve technology launched
- In line with the Make in India initiative, global medical device maker Meril Life Sciences on 8th December launched its first indigenously designed and manufactured artificial aortic valve for patients who are at a high risk or unwilling to undergo open heart valve replacement surgery.
- The Transcatheter Aortic Heart Valve Replacement (TAVR), which will be sold under the brand name “Myval”, is a minimally invasive procedure in which the doctor places a artificial valve into the patient’s diseased valve via a catheter inserted through the femoral artery.
- It is an alternative way to replace diseased valves without undergoing traditional open heart procedure, which some patients may not receive well.
- Meril is the first Indian company to commercially make this therapy available in the country.
- The company has also received an approval from the Indian drug regulator Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for commercialisation of TAVR.
- TAVR is increasingly becoming a preferred alternative for surgical valve replacement because it is associated with faster recovery time.
India, Iceland discuss geothermal energy cooperation
- India and Iceland discussed cooperation in geothermal energy among other areas during a bilateral meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Icelandic Foreign Minister Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson.
- The two Ministers noted that in the areas such as geothermal energy, fisheries, IT, pharmaceuticals and tourism, both countries could establish strong partnership.
- The Icelandic Minister appreciated growing opportunities for Icelandic companies in the fast-growing Indian economy.
- The two Ministers expressed satisfaction at the ongoing cooperation at multilateral and international forums.
- Sushma Swaraj and Thordarson also discussed the possibility of enhanced cooperation in the Arctic Council, an inter-governmental forum of Arctic states where India has an observer status.
FACTFILE – Geothermal energy
- Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the earth.
- The geothermal energy of the Earth’s crust originates from the original formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of materials.
- The geothermal gradient, which is the difference in temperature between the core of the planet and its surface, drives a continuous conduction of thermal energy in the form of heat from the core to the surface.
- Earth’s internal heat is thermal energy generated from radioactive decay and continual heat loss from Earth’s formation. Temperatures at the core–mantle boundary may reach over 4000 °C (7,200 °F).
- The high temperature and pressure in Earth’s interior cause some rock to melt and solid mantle to behave plastically, resulting in portions of the mantle convecting upward since it is lighter than the surrounding rock.
- With water from hot springs, geothermal energy has been used for bathing since Paleolithic times and for space heating since ancient Roman times, but it is now better known for electricity generation.
- Worldwide, 11,700 megawatts (MW) of geothermal power was available in 2013.
- Geothermal power is cost-effective, reliable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly, but has historically been limited to areas near tectonic plate boundaries.
Kerala CM commissions Kannur airport
- Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu commissioned the Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL).
- The first flight from the airport was flagged off, with 180 passengers to Abu Dhabi.
- This is the fourth international airport in the state, the rest are in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode.
- The KIAL is slated to serve more than 1.5 million international passengers annually and authorities estimate the number will increase five-fold by 2025.
- It is expected to boost tourism in Kannur, Kasargode, Wayanad and increase trade and commerce in the handloom and spices sectors.
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