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Assam Current Affairs & GK – July 15 - 21, 2020

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

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July 15, 2020

Assam’s  Poba Reserve Forest to be upgraded to wildlife sanctuary

• Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced that the Poba Reserve Forest in Dhemaji district would be upgraded to a Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Poba Reserve Forest, declared in 1924 with an area of 10,522 hectares, is home to large number of flora and fauna.

FACTFILE – Poba Reserved Forest

• Poba Reserved Forest is situated in Jonai Subdivision of Dhemaji District of Assam.
• Poba is one of the richest rain forests of North-East India in terms of the flora and fauna found in it.
• Poba Reserved Forest is an important elephant corridor linking the foot hills of Arunachal Pradesh and Dibru Saikhowa National Park via the proposed Kobu Chapori Reserve Forest.

Wildlife Sanctuary

• A natural area which is reserve by a governmental or private agency for the protection of particular species.
• It came under the category called “Protected Areas”. The Protected Areas are declared under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has defined its Category IV type of protected areas

Reserved Forests

• Land rights to forests declared to be Reserved forests or Protected forests are typically acquired and owned by the Government of India.
• Unlike national parks of India or wildlife sanctuaries of India, reserved forests and protected forests are declared by the respective state governments.
• Rights to all activities like hunting, grazing, etc. in reserved forests are banned unless specific orders are issued otherwise.

FIFA releases World Cup 2022 match schedule

• The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) released the match schedule for the 2022 World Cup which will be hosted by Qatar.
• The tournament will begin November 21 at Al Bayt Stadium in the northern city of Al Khor with the hosts Qatar in action while the final will be played on December 18 at Lusail Stadium in Doha.
• The group stage will be spread over the course of 12 days and will feature four matches a day to give all teams “optimal rest” between their matches and promise fans a full and exciting schedule.

FACTFILE – The International Federation of Association Football (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), FIFA

• FIFA was founded in 1904 to oversee international competition among the national associations of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
• It has headquartered in Zürich
• It has total membership of 211 national associations. These national associations must each also be members of one of the six regional confederations viz. Africa, Asia, Europe, North & Central America and the Caribbean, Oceania, and South America.

FACTFILE – 2022 FIFA World Cup

• The 2022 FIFA World Cup is the 22^nd edition of the FIFA World Cup, scheduled to take place in Qatar in 2022.
• This will be the first World Cup ever to be held in the Arab world and the first in a Muslim-majority country.
• This will be the second World Cup held entirely in Asia after the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.

Union Govt asked states to expedite work in Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan

• Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Narendra Singh Tomar has urged the states to expedite the work under the Central government’s “Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan” with a competitive approach.
• He reviewed the progress of Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan through video-conference with the Rural Development Ministers and senior officials of six states and found it satisfactory.
• The drive of employment for migrant labourers at their native places launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 20, is being undertaken in 116 districts in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan.
• The ‘Abhiyaan’ will continue for 125 days, and 25 projects coming under 11 different ministries have been identified for completion.
• The Abhiyaan was found to be progressing well under various parameters which are being regularly monitored.
• Union Minister Tomar emphasised on developing a competitive approach among the states to achieve maximum results along with minimising the hurdles being faced by various ministries in the implementation process so that the set targets are completed within the determined time period.

Gujarat to develop water aerodromes

• Gujarat state government has decided to set up water aerodromes at four places in the state. For this project, a tripartite MoU is to be signed between the state government, Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
• Under Indian government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme, RCS UDAN-3 and 4, the Gujarat government has decided to set up 4 water aerodromes at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, Sardar Sarovar Dam, Kevadia in Narmada, Shatrunjay Dam in Palitana near Bhavnagar and Dharoi dam in Mehsana.
• The AAI will act as the implementing agency in the project and will develop the project at four places.
• Water aerodromes are spaces in water bodies, where amphibious aircraft can take off and land.

July 16, 2020

First container ship from Kolkata to Agartala through Chattogram Port inaugurated

• The first-ever container cargo from Kolkata via Bangladesh’s Chattogram port has reached Agartala, achieving a “historic milestone” in the Indo-Bangladesh connectivity and economic partnership.
• An agreement was reached to use of Chattogram and Mongla Ports for movement of India’s transit cargo through Bangladesh.
• Via this route, the distance and time taken in transportation of goods for India particularly the northeastern States will get reduced significantly.
• It will enhance business services and revenue generation for Bangladesh while the logistical sector will also get a big boost in Northeast part of India.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurates Covid Plasma Bank

• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated a Covid Plasma Bank at SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack through video conferencing to start the convalescent plasma therapy treatment of acute COVID-19 patients in the state. He also appealed to people who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate their plasma for treatment of other critical patients in the state.
• The therapy will be introduced in three dedicated COVID Hospitals, viz. SUM Hospital and KIIMS Hospital in Bhubaneswar and Ashwini Hospital in Cuttack.
• He also expressed gratitude towards the Drug Controller General of India for allowing the state to use of convalescent plasma for treatment of acute COVID-19 patients.

PM Modi addresses a digital conclave on World Youth Skills Day on 15 July

• Addressing a digital conclave on World Youth Skills Day, on July 15, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the coronavirus pandemic has changed the “culture” along with the “nature of the job”.
• He said the mantra to remain relevant is – skill, re-skill and up-skill. Skill – Learn a new skill and value add to things. Re-skill – Add to your skill every day by learning something new. Up-skill – Widening your skillset is upskilling yourself.

FACTFILE – World Youth Skills Day

• World Youth Skills Day is celebrated each year on July 15.
• Its aim is to recognise the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship, and to highlight the crucial role of skilled youth in addressing current and future global challenges.

Scientists discover key element of strong antibody response to COVID-19

• A team of scientists at the Scripps Research has discovered a common molecular feature found in many of the human antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
• The team reviewed data on nearly 300 anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and noted that a subset of these antibodies is particularly powerful at neutralizing the virus and these potent antibodies are all encoded by the same antibody gene, IGHV3-53.
• The research was a collaboration chiefly involving the Wilson and Burton labs, and the Scripps Research-based Neutralizing Antibody Center of IAVI, a prominent non-profit vaccine research organization.
• Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins made in immune cells called B-cells. Each B-cell makes a specific antibody type, which is encoded by a unique combination of antibody genes in the cell.
• The scientists found that an antibody gene called IGHV3-53 was the most common of the genes for the 294 antibodies.

Tamil Nadu allows the use of BCG vaccine for 60-95 aged Covid patients

• Tamil Nadu government has allowed a pilot project to study if the Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, which is actually used for the treatment of Tuberculosis, will help reduce the mortality rate among elderly Covid-19 patients.
• The National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis will start the pilot programme and BCG vaccine will be administered on a trial basis to people in the 60-95 age group.
• The BCG vaccine was found to boost innate immunity, which could lower morbidity and mortality rates. The vaccine could reduce the severity of Covid-19, avoid hospitalisation and mortality rate.

Odisha partners with online learning platform ‘Coursera’ to upskill 50,000 Youths

• The Odisha Skills Development Authority (OSDA) has partnered with leading online learning platform ‘Coursera’ to train 50,000 unemployed youths during the COVID-19 crisis.
• The partnership is part of Coursera’s global roll-out of the ‘Workforce Recovery Initiative’ where any state and country can provide unemployed workers with free access to online learning.
• The programme aims to build in-demand skills like data science, cloud computing and Internet of Things while also offering professional certificates like the Google IT Support Professional Certificate.
• The ‘Workforce Recovery Initiative’ initiative is part of the Coursera- for-the-government offering launched in 2017 to equip government employees and citizens with in-demand skills.

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July 17, 2020

India ranks 3rd in Global Manufacturing locations suitability

• As per property consultant Cushman & Wakefield, India ranks third in the list of most-suitable locations for global manufacturing among 48 countries in terms of cost competitiveness and operating conditions.
• China and the US retain the top two positions, while India has moved one place higher to rank third.
• In cost scenario also India is at 3rd position after China and Vietnam. But India ranks 30^th in risk scenario, due political and economic risks.

IIT Madras-incubated start-up develops ‘MediCAB’ portable hospital for Covid cases

• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras-incubated start-up, Modulus Housing, has developed a portable hospital unit Called ‘MediCAB’ that can be installed by four people anywhere within two hours.
• ‘MediCAB’ it is a decentralised approach to detecting, screening, identifying, isolating and treat Covid-19 patients in their local communities at these portable microstructures.
• Recently it was launched recently in Kerala’s Wayanad District, where the units are being deployed to treat Covid-19 patients.
• The start-up firm Modulus Housing is developing micro hospitals that can be deployed rapidly across the nation.
• The Medicab unit is composed of four zones – a doctor’s room, an isolation room, a medical room/ward and a twin-bed ICU, maintained at negative pressure.

Ved Parkash Dudeja, RLDA Vice-Chairman is awarded ‘Infra Business Leader of the Year’

• The Vice-Chairman, Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) Ved Parkash Dudeja, was recently awarded the coveted ‘Infra Business Leader of the Year’ award for 2020 by the Rail Infra and Mobility Business Digital Awards (RIMBDA).
• RLDA is a statutory authority under the Ministry of Railways, responsible for the development of vacant railway land for commercial use for the purpose of generating revenue by non-tariff measures and creating assets for Indian Railways.
• Dudeja has initiated several commercial projects, multifunctional complex, colony redevelopment and station redevelopment projects and shattered all previous records of earnings as well as those of awarding of lease contracts in 2019-20.

Union Govt launches IIT Delhi’s COVID-19 test kit ‘Corosure’ for commercial use

• Indian Government announced the commercial launch of a COVID-19 test kit which was developed by the IIT Delhi at a base price of ₹399, the cheapest in the market.
• Approved by the Indian Medical Council of India with the highest score and Drug Control General of India with very high sensitivity and specificity, the commercial product named ‘Corosure’ was commercially developed by a company named NewTech Medical Devises after obtaining license from the IIT Delhi.
• HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, who e-launched the affordable RT-PCR based covid-19 diagnostic kit, said “the country requires affordable and reliable testing for the country which can help to control the pandemic. The Corosure has been developed indigenously and is much cheaper than other kits.

Hyderabad Airport gets India’s 1st contactless car parking

• GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) that operates the Hyderabad International Airport is offering fully contact-less airport car parking service.
• Apart from offering an end-to-end contact-less boarding experience for safe travel, GHIAL has also scaled up its NETC (National Electronic Toll Collection) FASTag Car Parking in collaboration with NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India).
• With this, the Hyderabad international airport now offers the country’s first and only fully contact-less airport car parking experience for passengers and visitors.

July 18, 2020

 6 Agricultural scientists from Northeast get ICAR awards

• Six agricultural scientists of three northeastern states Tripura, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh were awarded ICAR’s National Award for their outstanding innovation in farming and boosting agricultural economy in the region.
• Additionally, two Krishi Vigyan Kendras in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur and three farmers of Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya also received the ICAR awards for their exceptional feats in agricultural and farming sectors of the region.
• Lopamudra Sahoo, Gulab Singh Yadav, Chandan Debnath and Basant Kumar Kandpal of ICAR research complex in Tripura received the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Award and Swami Sahajan and Saraswati Award.
• Scientist Amit Kumar, associated with the ICAR research complex in Meghalaya and Nangsol Dolma Bhutia, Assistant Professor of Central Agricultural University at Pasighat have received the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for P.G. Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Research in Agricultural and Allied Sciences.

FACTFILE – The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is an autonomous body responsible for co-ordinating agricultural education and research in India
• It is the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in the world.

 Clinical trials for Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccine begins

• India’s first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin got a nod from the AIIMS Ethics Committee to start human trials. AIIMS Delhi is among the 12 sites selected by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) for conducting phase I and II human trials of Covaxin.
• In phase I, the Covaxin vaccine would be tested on 375 volunteers and a maximum of 100 of them would be from AIIMS.
• Moreover, human dosing of the vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech India (BBIL) in collaboration with ICMR’s National Institute of Virology (NIV) also started with the vaccine being given to participants at AIIMS, Patna and PGIMS Rohtak.
• Drug firm Zydus Cadila also started human clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate ZyCoV-D. The company will be enrolling over 1,000 subjects across multiple clinical study sites in India.
• Earlier, DCGI has permitted two vaccines – Covaxin developed by the Bharat Biotech International Limited in collaboration with the ICMR and ZyCoV-D by Zydas Cadila Healthcare Ltd to go in for phase I and II human clinical trials.

Rose Raponda becomes Gabon’s first woman Prime Minister

• The President of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, appointed the country’s first woman prime minister, Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda.
• After serving as budget minister eight years ago, she became the first woman to be elected mayor of the capital Libreville in 2014. Raponda had served as defence minister since February 2019.

FACTFILE – Gabon

• Gabon is a country on the west coast of Central Africa, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo on the east and south, and the Gulf of Guinea to the west.
• Its capital and largest city is Libreville and the official language is French.
• Abundant petroleum and foreign private investment have helped make it one of the most prosperous countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the 7th highest HDI and the fourth-highest GDP per capita (PPP) in the region.

Uttarakhand govt to start ‘Waste to Energy’ initiative

• Uttarakhand government has decided to convert waste generated in the state to electricity under an initiative ‘Waste to Energy’. The electricity will be generated from the waste coming out in the municipal corporation and municipality area.
• The initiative was taken into consideration keeping in view the present issues faced by most municipalities and corporations of land scarcity in depositing solid waste at one place.
• According to the assessment by Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (UEPPCB), the waste can generate up to 5 MegaWatt of electricity and curb the pollution.
• Govt aims to make use of the 24 MW of biomass power generation capacity available in the state.

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July 19, 2020

India ranks 34^th in the Global Skills Index 2020 Report

• India has surged ahead of China in business and technology skills due to its growing younger population, reported by the world’s largest online learning platform Coursera.
• In its latest Global Skills Index 2020, India is placed at 34^th position within the business domain as compared to China’s rank of 45.
• Within the technology domain, India ranks 40^th while China ranks 50^th
• Within the data science domain, India ranks 51th and within the data management competency, India ranks 58th.

Govt nod for contributions by individuals, institutions to NDRF

• Central government has laid out the modalities for contributions and grants from any person or institution to the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
• Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the contributions to the NDRF have been allowed through any of the modes like physical instruments, RTGS/NEFT/UPI and https://bharatkosh.gov.in
• The NDRF, constituted under Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, supplements the State Disaster Response Fund of the states in case of natural calamities like cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloud burst and pest attack considered to be of severe nature by the government.

FACTFILE – National Disaster Response Fund

• The Disaster Management Act, 2005 (DM Act) defines “disaster” to mean ‘a catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence in any area, arising from natural or man-made causes, or by accident or negligence which results in substantial loss of life or human suffering or damage to, and destruction of, property, or damage to, or degradation of, environment, and is of such a nature or magnitude as to be beyond the coping capacity of the community of the affected area.’
• The financial assistance from SDRF/NDRF is for providing immediate relief and is not compensation for loss/damage to properties /crops.
• The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Disaster Management Authority takes decisions on the expenses from National Disaster Response Fund

Ashok Lavasa appointed Vice-President of Asian Development Bank

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed election commissioner Ashok Lavasa as its Vice-President on the recommendation of the Indian government.
• Ashok Lavasa will succeed current vice president at ADB Diwakar Gupta and will look after private sector operations and public private partnerships.

FACTFILE – Asian Development Bank (ADB)

• The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in Metro Manila, Philippines.
• The company also maintains 31 field offices around the world to promote social and economic development in Asia.
• The ADB was modelled closely on the World Bank and has a similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with members’ capital subscriptions.
• ADB is an official United Nations Observer.
• Shareholding pattern – Japan holds the largest proportion of shares at 15.677%, the United States with 15.567%, China holds 6.473%, India holds 6.359%, and Australia holds 5.812%.

BIOGRAPHY – Ashok Lavasa

• A 1980 batch Haryana cadre IAS officer, Ashok Lavasa took over as Election Commissioner on 23 January 2018.
• He held a range of senior posts in the government, including finance secretary, environment secretary, civil aviation secretary among others.

UNICEF ties up with SAP India to provide career counselling to young people

• UNICEF India partnered with a software major SAP India to provide career counselling to young people in order to improve their employability skills in the present and post-COVID-19 era.
• UNICEF will also collaborate with ”YuWaah” – (Generation Unlimited), an initiative supported by the UN body, to provide digital education and occupational skill-set to the under-served young people of the country.
• Generation Unlimited brings young people together with the private sector, governments, international and local organisations to tackle the challenge of investing in their learning and training.

Australia’s Monash University develops new blood test to trace coronavirus in 20 minutes

• Researchers at the Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, have developed a new blood test that detects positive coronavirus cases in just about 20 minutes, a finding that could assist the world to mitigate the coronavirus spread through robust contact-tracing.
• Researchers at the university developed the simple agglutination assay, an analysis to determine the presence and amount of a substance in blood to detect the presence of antibodies raised in response to the SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• The team of researchers were able to identify recent COVID-19 cases using 25 microlitres of plasma from blood samples.
• Positive COVID-19 cases caused an agglutination or a clustering of red blood cells, which was easily identifiable to the naked eye.
• The findings could help high-risk countries with population screening, case identification, contact-tracing, confirming vaccine efficacy during clinical trials and vaccine distribution.

Delhi Police launches plasma donation campaign

• On the initiative of Delhi Police, a ‘Plasma Donation Campaign’ has been launched at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
• The objective of the campaign is to encourage people to come forward to donate plasma to be used for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

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July 20, 2020

Covid-19 related death rates of NE states among the country’s lowest

• Central Govt informed that India has one of the lowest fatality rates in the world. Four northeastern states viz. Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Sikkim have zero case fatality rate (CFR) till now.
• As per the Health Ministry data, the northeastern states have less than one per cent CFR.
• Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Tripura have a CFR of 0.23 per cent, 0.46 per cent, 0.48 per cent and 0.19 per cent respectively.

Himachal Pradesh promotes fruit cultivation through ADB funding

• To make Himachal Pradesh a horticulture hub, the Asian Development Bank (ADB)funded HP Shiva Pilot Project is undergoing with an outlay of Rs 100 crore in four districts of the state.
• The project would be implemented in Bilaspur, Mandi, Kangra and Hamirpur districts. Fruit-bearing sapling would be planted on 170 hectares. And a target of planting 2.50 lakh fruit-bearing saplings of orange, litchi, pomegranate, guava, etc., has been identified under the project in July and August.
• The state has initiated several steps like 12.50 lakh hectare meter anti-hail net is made available for protecting the crops from natural calamities.
• About 225 metric tonnes insecticide has been made available at subsidized rates. Special training is being given for packaging of apple, cherry and stone fruits. About 3.5 crore boxes were made available for packaging of fruits.

United Arab Emirates launches its first mission to Mars

• The United Arab Emirates launched its first mission to Mars as it strives to develop its scientific and technological capabilities.
• The Hope Probe blasted off from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center for a seven-month journey to the red planet, where it will orbit and send back data.
• The Emirates Mars Mission with a cost of $200 million, it aims to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere for the first time, studying daily and seasonal changes.
• To develop and build the Hope Probe, Emiratis and Dubai’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), Dubai, worked with U.S. universities.

HRD Ministry announced guidelines on digital education

• Union Human Resource and Development Ministry has announced guidelines for online classes operationalised by schools amid the COVID pandemic.
• Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank virtually released the PRAGYATA guidelines on digital education, which has many recommendations including restriction on the screen time for students.
• Online classes for pre-primary students should not be for more than 30 minutes a day. For Classes 1st to 8th, it has suggested that not more than two online sessions of up to 45 minutes each should be conducted in a day.
• For the senior students, from class 9th to 12th, the suggested limit of the online classes is to a maximum of four sessions of up to 45 minutes each.
• These guidelines on Digital Education provide a roadmap for carrying forward online education to enhance the quality of education. It also stresses upon the use of an alternative academic calendar of NCERT.
• The Guidelines also emphasize the need to unify all efforts related to digital, online education, benefitting school-going children across the country.

Indian Railways’ first cable-stayed rail bridge in Jammu

• The Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed Indian Railways bridge will soon connect Katra and Reasi in of Jammu–Baramulla rail line.
• The ambitious project of Indian Railways has a single pylon, standing at a height of 331 metres above the river bed, is being developed by Konkan Railway Corporation Limited.
• The cable-stayed railway bridge is a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
• The total length of the bridge is 473.25 metres. The length of the viaduct is 120 metres and the central embankment has a length of 94.25 metres.

Indian-origin Chan Santokhi elected as the President of Suriname

• Suriname, a small country in South America elected Indian-origin Chan Santokhi as the new President.
• 61-year-old Chan Santokhi, former police chief, won a landslide victory in the general elections.
• Suriname is a former Dutch colony but the country’s relations with the Netherlands, which was once its primary trade partner, deteriorated under the previous regime.

FACTFILE – Suriname

• Suriname is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America.
• At just under 165,000 square kilometres, it is the smallest country in South America.
• It’s capital and largest city is Paramaribo.
• It is the first country to reach carbon neutrality.
• Suriname is the only sovereign nation outside Europe where Dutch is spoken by a majority of the population.

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July 21, 2020

Zoram Mega food park launched in Mizoram

• Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated the Zoram Mega Food Park Ltd at Kolasib in Mizoram through virtual conference.
• The Zoram Food Park built at a cost of Rs 75 crore will directly benefit over 25,000 farmers and will create employment for over 5,000 local people.
• It is the first mega food park operationalized in Mizoram. It will benefit about 25,000 farmers in the core processing centre and primary processing Centre catchment areas.
• The 55-acre Zoram food park, promoted by Zoram Mega Food Park Pvt Ltd, is located at Khamrang village in Kolasib District, Mizoram.
• A total of 88 ministry-supported food processing projects have been sanctioned in the entire North Eastern Region.

Oxford Covid-19 vaccine produces positive immune response

• The human trial of COVID-19 vaccinecandidate developed by the University of Oxford and backed by AstraZeneca Plc has shown a positive result. The vaccine has generated a protective immune response in the vaccinated sample population.
• This Covid-19 vaccine is a chimpanzee adenovirus viral vector (ChAdOx1) vaccine that expresses the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. It uses a common cold virus i.e. adenovirus, that infects chimpanzees, which has been weakened so that it can’t cause any disease in humans, and is genetically modified to code for the spike protein of the human SARS-CoV-2 virus.
• When the adenovirus enters vaccinated people’s cells it also delivers the spike protein genetic code. This causes these people’s cells to produce the spike protein, and helps teach the immune system to recognise the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

CBDT, MSME Ministry sign pact for sharing tax related data

• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises signed a MoU for facilitating seamless sharing of Income Tax Return (ITR) related information concerning SMEs.
• This data will enable the ministry to check and classify enterprises in Micro, Small and Medium categories as per the new criteria notified by the government.

TN signs eight investment MoUs for Rs 10,339 crore

• Tamil Nadu government signed eight Memorandums of Understanding involving an industrial investment of about Rs 10,339 crore with an employment potential for 13,507 persons.
• The proposed projects include production of solar cells and modules, air compressors, ductile iron foundry, industrial parks, cashew nut processing, data centre and a foundry expansion project.
• Some of the important projects are
  • Vikram Solar to invest Rs 5,423 crore in a facility to produce solar cells and modules in Orgadam in Kancheepuram district.
  • Hiranandani group’s Yotta to set up a data centre in Chengalpattu district at an investment of Rs 4,000 crore.
  • Elgi Equipments will invest Rs 250 crore in setting up an air compressor unit.
  • Aquasub to invest Rs 200 crore to set up a ductile iron foundry in Coimbatore.
  • GI Agro Tech to set up a cashew nut processing unit at Villupuram investing Rs 36 crore.
  • JS Auto Cast to expand its foundry facility at Erode district at an outlay of Rs 40 crore.
  • CGD Satharai Pvt Ltd to set up an Industrial park projects with outlay Rs 250 crore at Kancheepuram district and NDR Infrastructure to set up another industrial park with an outlay of Rs 200 crore at Ranipet.

UP launches ‘Navin Rojgar Chhatri Yojana’ for SCs

• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched ”Navin Rojgar Chhatri Yojana” for an all-round development of the Scheduled Castes communities.
• Economic equality becomes the basis of social equality. The society with one of its sections becoming strong while another remaining weak will not be able to become self-reliant. It is necessary that there is a balance in the society and this balance should also be at the economic level.

Marianna Vardinoyannis & Morissana Kouyate win UN 2020 Nelson Mandela Prize

• Marianna Vardinoyannis of Greece and Morissana Kouyate of Guinea are selected for this year’s United Nations 2020 Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize. 
• Marianna Vardinoyannis is a Greek philanthropist known for fighting childhood cancer and for a world without borders in health for about 30 years. He is also the world advocate for human rights and the protection of children’s health and welfare.
• Morissana Kouyate is also a Human rights activist known for her contribution towards curbing violence against women and girls in Africa. She is a leading advocate in the fight against harmful traditional practices against women, particularly female genital mutilation.
• The prize was established in 2014 by the General Assembly to recognise the achievements of those who dedicate their lives to the service of humanity by promoting the purposes and principles of the United Nations while honouring and paying homage to Nelson Mandela’s extraordinary life and legacy of reconciliation, political transition, and social transformation.

FACTFILE – The United Nations Nelson Mandela Prize

• The United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize aims to recognize the achievements of those who dedicated their lives to the service of humanity as guided by the purposes and principles of the UN while honouring and paying homage to Mandela’s extraordinary life and legacy of reconciliation, political transition and social transformation.
• The prize is awarded every five years. It was first awarded in 2015.

PM SVANidhi mobile app for street vendors launched

• A mobile application of PM Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi, PM SVANidhi was launched in New Delhi to bring micro-credit facility for street vendors at their doorsteps.
• PM SVANidhi Mobile App aims to provide a user-friendly digital interface for lending institutions and their field functionaries for sourcing and processing loan applications of street vendors under the scheme.
• The app is a step towards boosting the use of digital technology and will enable field functionaries to ensure maximum coverage of the scheme.
• The Mobile App will give impetus to the implementation strategy of the scheme besides promoting paper-less digital accessing of micro-credit facilities by the street vendors.
• More than one lakh 54 thousand street vendors have applied for working capital loan across States and Union Territories. Out of which, loan to over 48 thousand street vendors have already been sanctioned. 
• PM SVANidhi scheme was launched for providing affordable working capital loan to street vendors to resume their livelihoods that have been adversely affected due to COVID-19 crisis.
• Under the scheme, the vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to ten thousand rupees, which is repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of one year. There will be no penalty on early repayment of the loan.

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Assam Current Affairs & GK – July 1 - 7, 2020

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

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July 01, 2020

Assam government prohibits use of spiked bits on horses

• The Assam government has banned the use of spiked bits or yokes with spikes on horses, by enforcing a prohibition under the cruelty provisions to the Drought and Pack Animals Rules, 1965.
• This order was issued recently by Assam’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department Secretary Devajyoti Hazarika following a complaint by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA-India).
• PETA India had launched a nationwide campaign in 2019 based on the outcome of a multi-state survey of government efforts to impose a ban on using spiked bits on horses.
• Other states like Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh have already issued orders enforcing these prohibitions.

India ranked 117^th in SDG Index 2020

• India is ranked at 117th position with a score of 92and is also facing major challenges in 10 of the 17 SDGs including zero hunger, good health, gender inequality among others.
• The index has been topped by Sweden with score of 84.72, Denmark scored 84.56, Finland scored 83.77.
• The 2020 report has reviewed the performance of 193 UN Member States out of which 166 were ranked under SDG index 2020.
• The report identifies five key measures that global cooperation should include:
  1. Disseminate best practices rapidly;
  2. strengthen financing mechanisms for developing countries;
  3. Address hunger hotspots;
  4. Ensure social protection;
  5. Promote new drugs and vaccines.
• Since its launch in 2016, the report provides the most up-to-date data to track and review the performance of all 193 UN member states on the 17 SDGs.

HDFC Bank launches ”e-KisaanDhan” app for farmers

• HDFC Bank launched ”e-KisaanDhan” mobile app for farmers across India to access various agricultural and banking services.
• The Mobile App, which serves as a repository of knowledge and information for any individual engaged in farming, helps meet needs of the rural ecosystem.
• This will also provide value-added services, like mandi prices, latest farming news, weather forecast, information on seed varieties, SMS advisory, e-pashuhaat, multiple banking services, like procuring loans, opening bank accounts, insurance facilities, online calculation of KCC loan eligibility.
• This app is a part of the bank’s ”HarGaonHamara” initiative to reach out to customers in the rural and under-served areas.

World Bank offers $750 million loan for India’s MSMEs

• The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a $750 million MSME Emergency Response program to support increased flow of finance into the hands of India’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
• The MSME Emergency Response program will address the immediate liquidity and credit needs of 15 lakh MSMEs to help them withstand the impact of the current shock and protect jobs.
• The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan of $750 million has a maturity of 19 years including a 5-year grace period.
• This program will support the government’s efforts to channel liquidity to the MSME sector by de-risking lending from banks and NBFCs to MSMEs through a range of instruments, including credit guarantees.
• The World Bank has so far committed $2.75 billion to support India’s emergency COVID-19 response.

Uniform stamp duty on securities market instruments from July 1

• The amendments in the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, to bring about uniformity of the stamp duty on securities across states will come into effect from July 1, 2020.
• Central Govt has created the legal and institutional mechanism to enable states to collect stamp duty on securities market instruments at one place by one agency, through the stock exchange or clearing corporation authorised by it or by the depository on one instrument.
• The amendment will improve the ease of doing business and bring in uniformity of the stamp duty on securities across states, which can help building a pan-India securities market.
• Stock exchanges will now collect stamp duty for trading in securities at a unified rate from July 1 and deposit the proceeds with the Centre, which will then divide it among states where the trade took place.
• At present, market participants collect stamp duty at rates fixed by the state where the trade takes place. This created a complex system with multiple tax rates and differing regulations in different states, posing a challenge to settle deals.
• Under the new provisions, stock exchanges/clearing agencies would collect duty on securities transactions and deposit it with the centre, for off market transactions platform, the depositories would collect stamp duties.
• This centralised collection mechanism is expected to ensure minimise cost of collection and enhance revenue productivity. It will help develop equity markets and equity culture across the length and breadth of the country, ushering in balanced regional development.

Microsoft collaborate with Accenture to nurture B2B startups in India

• Microsoft announced to collaborate with global professional services company Accenture to host the third edition of the Accenture Ventures Challenge for B2B startups in India.
• It will recognise startups in India in four categories: supply chain resilience, channel shift to digital commerce, systems resilience and responsible technology.
• Microsoft, in February 2020, launched the “100X100X100” programme to bring 100 companies to commit $100,000 each for enterprise-ready solutions from 100 business-to-business (B2B) startups in the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) space in India over the course of 18 months.
• Accenture Ventures Challenge identifies the best B2B tech startups to develop solutions for real-world challenges faced by businesses. Its’ 2020 edition will identify 12 innovative startups that are helping to address the business and human impact of COVID-19.
• The winner in each category will be given an opportunity to join the Accenture Ventures Open Innovation partner programme and co-create solutions for Accenture clients around the world.

July 02, 2020

 Assam Govt decided to upgrade Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary into National Park

• Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced that the state government has decided to upgrade the DehingPatkai Wildlife Sanctuary, which is home to a vast variety of flora and fauna, into a national park.

FACTFILE – Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary

• Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia Districts of Assam and covers an area of 111.19 km2 rainforest.
• It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 2004.
• The Dehing Patkai forms the largest stretch of lowland rainforests in India.
• The Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary and a part of Dehing Patkai Rainforest, due to their importance for elephant habitat, were declared as Dehing-Patkai Elephant Reserve under Project Elephant.

Railways to invite private players for passenger train operations

• Indian Railway has invited request for qualifications for private participation for passenger train operations on 109 pairs of routes through 151 modern trains.
• Railway ministry plans to allow private entities to operate passenger trains. The project would entail private sector investment of about Rs 30,000 crore.
• The private investment for running passenger trains over Indian Railways network
• began last year with the introduction of Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
• The objective of this initiative is to introduce modern technology rolling stock with reduced maintenance, reduced transit time, boost job creation, provide enhanced safety, provide world class travel experience to passengers.
• The 109 (origin-destination) pairs of trains have been formed into 12 clusters across the Indian Railway network. The private entity shall be responsible for financing, procuring, operation and maintenance of the trains. Trains shall be designed for a maximum speed of 160 kmph and should reduce journey time.

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur develops new micro porous film

• Researcher Dr Tushar Deshpande of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, has developed an elastomeric film that has multiple uses. The film can be used as a bandage to prevent a wound from getting infected. It will also speed up healing by aiding tissue building around the wound, by allows air to pass but no virus.
• Deshpande said the film can also separate petrol from water. The film doesn’t absorb any liquid and has been made with polydis methyl siloxin, ethyl acetated and water and its thickness is 150 microns.”
• It could also be used in making personal protection equipment (PPE) kits to prevent coronavirus infection. The film will also be effective in making tissues of other organs, including heart, liver and brain.

Delhi CM Kejriwal announces India’s first Coronavirus plasma bank in Delhi

• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced the first plasma bank in the country for the novel coronavirus patients in the city and urged the Covid survivors to come forward and donate plasma to save lives. He also launched the helpline number to register names for plasma donation.
• The patients who were treated from Covid-19 and have completed 14 days after their treatment are eligible for donating plasma. They must be between 18 and 60 age groups, must have weight more than 50 kg.

AAI inks MoA with Cachar District for financial assistance to Cacahr Cancer Hospital

• The Cachar District Adminstration and authorities of Airports Authority of India (AAI) Silchar airport signed an Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for providing financial assistance for procurement of ambulance for Cachar Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Silchar amounting to Rs 13 Lakh.
• The MoA was signed by Cachar Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli and Silchar Airport Director PK Gorai.
• As a part of the CSR initiative, the Airport Authority of India will support the project by providing financial assistance for procurement of sophisticated ambulance for the cancer hospital.

World Bank approves $500 million project STARS to better education quality in 6 Indian states

• The World Bank board of executives has approved a new project worth $500 million to improve learning outcome and governance of government schools in six Indian states.
• The project STARS (Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program) will be implemented through the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan in partnership with Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Rajasthan.
• STARS will help improve learning assessment systems, strengthen classroom instruction, and remediation, facilitate school-to-work transition, and strengthen governance and decentralized management.
• The STARS program builds on the long partnership between India and the World Bank, since 1994, for strengthening public school education and to support the country’s goal of providing ‘Education for All’.
• The program will support individualized, needs-based training for teachers that will give them an opportunity to have a say in shaping training programs and making them relevant to their teaching needs.

India, World Bank sign loan agreements for housing sector in Tamil Nadu

• The Govt of India, state Govt of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank signed legal agreements to help low-income groups in the state of Tamil Nadu get access to affordable housing.
• The loan agreements were signed for two projects:
• The $200 million First Tamil Nadu Housing Sector Strengthening Programme supports the government’s ongoing efforts to increase the availability of affordable housing by gradually shifting the role of the state from being the main provider to an enabler.
• It aim to unlock regulatory barriers and incentivise private sector participation in affordable housing for low-income families.
• $50 million Tamil Nadu Housing and Habitat Development Project is also approved to support innovations in housing finance and strengthen housing sector institutions in the state. It will finance the newly created Tamil Nadu Shelter Fund (TNSF) – an innovation in housing finance in India.
• These loans from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) have a maturity of 20 years including a grace period of 5 years.

Former RBI Governor C. Rangarajan gets Mahalanobis award

• Former Reserve Bank of India Governor C. Rangarajan has been conferred the P.C. Mahalanobis Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution to official statistics, on the occasion of Statistics Day on June 29.
• Rangarajan had also held the posts of Chairman, Financial Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, and Chairman, Madras Faculty of Economics.

BIOGRAPHY – Chakravarthi Rangarajan

• Chakravarthi Rangarajan is an Indian economist and 19^th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• He is the former Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, he resigned the day the UPA lost power. He is also the Chairman of the Madras School of Economics; former President of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).
• He served as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu.
• He was also the chairman of the Twelfth Finance Commission.
• In 2002, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian award.

Madhya Pradesh launches ‘Hamara Ghar-Hamara Vidyalaya’ campaign

• To maintain the academic regularity of students during the Corona crisis, the State Education Center has prepared a ‘HamaraGhar-HamaraVidyalaya’ means My Home-My school scheme, in which children will be taught at home in a school-like environment.
• Under the scheme, the school bells are going to be heard within the student’s house and the teachers will begin the class of the students after the bell. It provides a school-like environment for the children taught at their home through online classes.

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July 03, 2020

Two new species of butterfly ‘Striped Hairstreak and Elusive Prince’ discoved in Arunachal Pradesh

• Lepidopterists have discovered two new species of butterfly, namely the Striped Hairstreak and Elusive Prince, in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh
• The Striped Hairstreak, was first recorded by Japanese entomologists in Hainan province of China. And the Elusive Prince, has a Vietnamese connection and was thought to be the more familiar Black Prince found in the Eastern Himalayas.
• The findings from Arunachal Pradesh indicate the rich biodiversity of the State. India now has 1,327 species, up from 1,318 in 2015
• The Striped Hairstreak (Yamamotozephyruskwangtugenesis) was located in Vijaynagar bordering Myanmar while the Elusive Prince was found in Miao on the periphery of the Namdapha National Park.

Delhi launches remote teaching-learning activities and LEAD portal

• Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia announced the commencement of remote teaching-learning activities for students of city government schools.
• The Directorate of Education has devised an alternate teaching-learning plan to reduce the academic loss of students in classes KG to XII of all government and aided schools in Delhi.
• A plan of action in this regard has been worked out for the students through a combination of strategies using digital devices and support of the parents and the school managements.
• Apart from these regular teaching-learning activities, additional optional online teaching-learning activities will be added from time to time to enhance the learning activities of the students.
• Delhi Deputy Chief also launched a comprehensive e-learning portal called LEAD (Learning through E-Resources Made Accessible for Delhi)— which has more than 10,000 instructional materials and course content for school students.
• Through LEAD, students will have access to textbooks, study material and course content as per the syllabus of the CBSE, NCERT and the Delhi government’s curriculum.

Global e-waste increased by 21% in five years, says UN

• As per the UN’s Global E-waste Monitor 2020, a record 53.6 million metric tonnes of electronic waste was generated worldwide in 2019, up 21 per cent in just five years.
• The prediction of global e-waste (defined as any discarded products with a battery or plug) will reach 74 Mt by 2030, almost a doubling of e-waste in just 16 years.
• e-waste became world’s fastest-growing domestic waste stream, fuelled mainly by higher consumption rates of electric and electronic equipment, short life cycles, and few options for repair.
• Region wise: Asia generated the greatest volume of e-waste in 2019, some 24.9 million metric tonnes, followed by the Americas (13.1 million metric tonnes) and Europe (12 million metric tonnes), while Africa and Oceania generated 2.9 million metric tonnes and 0.7 million metric tonnes respectively.
• Only 17.4 per cent of 2019’s e-waste was collected and recycled.
• E-waste is a health and environmental hazard, containing toxic additives and substances such as mercury, which damages the human brain and/or coordination system.

FACTFILE – The Global E-waste Monitor 2020

• The Global E-waste Monitor 2020 is a collaborative product of the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP), formed by UN University, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the International Solid Waste Association, in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme.

Railways runs longest train ”SheshNaag” of 2.8-km length

• The Indian Railways broke its own record of the longest train ever to run on Indian Railways, by operating ”SheshNaag”, a 2.8-km-long freight train. The South East Central Railway in Nagpur division attached long haul freight train consisting of four BOXN that is 251 wagons hauled by four electric locomotives.
• The train had three rakes of 58 wagons and one rake of 59 wagons.
• The whole train got the power of the four railway locomotives as a result. With this formation, Indian Railways will be able to save time required for the movement of freight trains in the Indian Railways network.

Bharti Airtel’s Ajai Puri appointed new Chairman of COAI

• The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) announced the appointment of Ajai Puri, Chief Operating Officer (India and South Asia), Bharti Airtel as its Chairman for the year 2020-21.
• Pramod Kumar Mittal, President, Reliance JioInfocomm, will be the Vice Chairman of the Association.
• Ajai Puri has been with Bharti Airtel since 2004, and has held several senior leadership positions including Director for Market Operations and Director and CEO, DTH.

Indra Mani Pandey appointed India’s Permanent Representative to UN

• Indra Mani Pandey has been appointed as India’s next Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva.
• Indra Mani Pandey, a 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently serving as an additional secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
• Before, Pandey served in Indian missions in Damascus, Cairo, Islamabad, Kabul, Muscat and Geneva.
• He also served as joint secretary in the Disarmament and International Security Affairs division of the MEA.

Giriraj Singh launches the first edition of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Newsletter “Matsya Sampada”

• Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Giriraj Singh launched the first edition of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Newsletter “MATSYA SAMPADA”. It would be published on a quarterly basis.
• Published by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India and the Operational Guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
• The Newsletter is an outcome of the endeavours of the Department of Fisheries to reach out to the stakeholders especially fishers and fish farmers through various means of communication, and to inform and educate them about the latest developments in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

Fitch slashes India’s growth projection from 9.5% to 8% for FY22

• Fitch Ratings cut India’s growth forecast for 2021-22 fiscal to 8 per cent from 9.5 per cent projected last month. Though it retained projection of Indian economy contracting by 5 per cent in the current fiscal.
• Indian economic growth stood at an estimated 4.2 per cent in 2019-20. Earlier, Fitch projected Indian economy to grow 5.5 per cent in 2022-23.
• S&P has forecast a 5 per cent contraction in the current fiscal year and the growth to recover to 8.5 per cent next fiscal.
• Moody’s predicts India’s real GDP to contract by 4 per cent in fiscal 2020 due to the shock from the coronavirus pandemic and related lockdown measures, followed by 8.7 per cent growth in fiscal 2021.

July 04, 2020

 Andhra Pradesh govt Launches Corporation for Outsourced Services

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the Andhra Pradesh Corporation for Outsourced Services (APCOS) to recruit employees for various government departments in the state.
• The establishment of a separate department is expected to eliminate contractors and middlemen who used to control outsourcing for government services.
• The move is part of the reforms undertaken by the state government to usher transparency in governance.
• APCOS will handle processes such as recruitment and salaries, including the ESI and PF benefits. It will hand over 50,449 appointment letters to the employees working in various departments across Andhra Pradesh.

ICMR to launch 1^st indigenous Covid vaccine by August 15

• The Indian council of Medical Research (ICMR) plans to launch indigenous vaccine for COVID-19 by August 15 after the completion of the clinical trials. It has selected 13 institutions across the country for clinical trials and asked them to initiate subject enrollment by July 7.
• ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava informed the selected institutions that it has partnered with Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) to fast-track clinical trials of the indigenous COVID-19 vaccine (BBV152 COVID vaccine).
• The vaccine is being derived from a strain of SARS-CoV-2 isolated by ICMR-National Institute of Virology, Pune.
• Institutions involved in vaccine trials include Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad, King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam, University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and AIIMS Patna.

RBI announces special liquidity scheme for NBFCs and HFCs

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the government of India has approved a scheme to improve the liquidity position of NBFCs/HFCs through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to avoid any potential systemic risks to the financial sector.
• To be eligible under the scheme, RBI laid out the conditions:
  • The Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFCs), including Microfinance Institutions that are registered with the RBI, under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, excluding those registered as Core Investment Companies.
  • Housing Finance Companies that are registered under the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.
  • CRAR/CAR of NBFCs/HFCs should not be below the regulatory minimum, i.e., 15% and 12% respectively as on March 31, 2019.
  • The net non-performing assets should not be more than 6% as on March 31, 2019.
  • They should have made net profit in at least one of the last two preceding financial years (i.e. 2017-18 and 2018-19)
  • They should not have been reported under SMA-1 or SMA-2 category by any bank for their borrowings during last one year prior to August 01, 2018.
  • They should be rated investment grade by a SEBI registered rating agency.
  • They should comply with the requirement of the SPV for an appropriate level of collateral from the entity, which, however, would be optional and to be decided by the SPV.
• SBICAP has set up a SPV (SLS Trust) to manage this operation.

India-Bangladesh form 50:50 Joint Venture (JV) for LPG business in Bangladesh

• India and Bangladesh signed an agreement for the formation of a 50:50 Joint Venture Company for LPG business in Bangladesh.
• The agreement was signed between the IOC Middle East FZE, Dubai, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and RR Holdings Ltd., Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, the holding company of Beximco LPG of Bangladesh.
• The Joint Venture will help reduce the cost of imprt of LPG and make it more affordable for the consumers in Bangladesh. The LPG market in Bangladesh is fast expanding and the new project will draw upon the strengths of the Indian oil and Beximco in their respective areas.
• The company plans to diversify into LPG export to the north eastern states of India from Bangladesh which will mutually benefit both the countries.
• The new Joint venture company set up takes further the ‘neighbourhood first’ policy of the government of India. The energy cooperation between India and Bangladesh has made significant achievement in the recent years.

IIT Kanpur develops classroom-to-home teaching setup ‘Mobile Masterjee’

• IIT Kanpur has developed a classroom-to-home teaching setup, named ‘Mobile Masterjee’, that can record the lectures by the teachers while using their available smart phones.
• The product is lightweight and has adjustments to fit sheets and book on it for delivering instructions to the kids. The “Mobile Masterjee” can hold, position, and focus the whole recording setup, while making the online class a comfortable home environment. 

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July 05, 2020 

PM launched the Digital India Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Innovate Challenge

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Digital India AatmaNirbhar Bharat Innovate Challenge to identify the best Indian apps, already being used by citizens and have the potential to scale up and become world class.
• The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology along with the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) have come up with this challenge, which will run in two tracks promotion of existing apps and development of new apps.
• For the promotion of existing apps and platforms across the categories of e-learning, work-from-home, gaming, business, entertainment, office utilities and social networking, the government will provide mentoring, hand-holding and support.

India ranks 34th in Global Realty Transparency Index

• India’s Global Real Estate Transparency Index ranking has improved by one rank to 34 on the back of regulatory reforms, better market data and green initiatives, according to property consultant JLL.
• India was ranked 35th in the index during 2018 bi-annual survey, while the country was at 36th position in 2016 and 39th in 2014.
• The United Kingdom ranks first in the list of 99 countries, followed by the United States, Australia, France, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Ireland, Sweden and Germany.
• Top 10 countries are categorised as highly transparent, while those in the 11th position to 33rd are termed as transparent.
• The INDIA rank of 34 is with higher levels of transparency observed due to regulatory reforms, enhanced market data and sustainability initiatives.
• This improvement is led by structural reforms such as the Real Estate Regulation and Development Act 2016 (RERA), GST, Benami Transaction Prohibition (Amendment) Act, 2016, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and digitisation of land records have brought about greater transparency in what was an erstwhile largely unregulated sector a few years back.

Care Ratings forecasts Indian Economy to contract by 6.4%

• Care Ratings revised India’s GDP growth forecast for the current financial year to – 6.4 per cent as economic activity continues to be under restriction due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
• Forecast for GDP growth is now -6.4 per cent for FY21 with GVA degrowth estimated to be around -6.1 per cen.
• The sharper fall in real GDP also means that the nominal GDP for the year will also decline assuming inflation of 5 per cent which in turn will affect the projected fiscal deficit number of the central government which will be in the region of 8 per cent for FY21.

July 05, 2020 

Government of India declares Nagaland as “Disturbed Area” for six more months

• Union Govt declared the entire Nagaland as “disturbed area” for a further period of six months till December-end.
• The Home Ministry notified that the area comprising the whole Nagaland is in such a disturbed and dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of the civil power is necessary. Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (No.28 of 1958) the central government hereby declares that whole of the said State to be a ‘disturbed area’ for a period of six months with effect from 30th June, 2020 for the purpose of that Act.
• Nagaland has been under the coverage of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for almost six decades.

IIT Madras launches world’s first online BSc degree in Programming and Data Science

• The Indian Institute of Technology Madras has launched the “world’s first” online BSc degree course in Programming and Data Science. The course will be open to anyone who has passed class 12 with English and Maths at class 10 level, and enrolled in any on-campus undergraduate course.
• Even the current batch of students who are completing their class 12 are eligible to apply. Graduates and working professionals can also take up this programme.
• The course will be offered in three different stages – Foundational Programme, Diploma Programme and Degree Programme. At each stage, students will have the freedom to exit from the programme and receive a certificate, diploma or a degree, respectively.

PM Modi dedicates Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power project to nation

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Power project, to the nation via video conference.
• Prime Minister said the Rewa project will make the entire region a major hub for pure and clean energy in this decade. Madhya Pradesh would be the main centre of solar energy in India, as such major projects are in progress in Neemuch, Shajapur, Chattarpur and Omkareshwar.
• Solar energy as one which is ”Sure, Pure & Secure”. Sure because of the continuous supply of energy from the Sun, pure as it is environment friendly and secure because it is a secure source for our energy needs.

FACTFILE – Rewa Ultra Mega Solar

• Rewa Ultra Mega Solar is the first solar project in India to break the grid parity barrier. It is an operational ground mounted, grid-connected photovoltaic solar park spread over an area of 6.4 km2 in the Gurh tehsil of Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh.
• The project was commissioned with 750 MW capacity in December 2019.
• This Solar plant is India’s first solar project to get funding from Clean Technology Fund (CTF), which is available at a rate of 0.25% for a 40-year period, and from the World Bank.

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July 07, 2020 

India Ranked 31^st in INFORM Risk Index 2020 for Humanitarian crises & Disasters

• India has been ranked at 31^st position with an inform risk of 5.4, means risk of humanitarian crises and disasters. 
• This report is produced by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) on behalf of all INFORM Partners. It is the first global, objective and transparent tool for understanding the risk of regions based upon crises and disasters.
• The report considers the following while framing the index
  • Natural Factors: Tsunami, Earthquake, Drought, Flood, Epidemic and Tropical Cyclones;
  • Human Factors: Human Conflicts and conflict risks;
  • Socio-Economic factors: Inequality, vulnerable people, deprivation and aid dependency;
  • Institutional: DRR, Governance; Infrastructure: Communication, Physical infrastructure, Access to health system.

• North Korea ranks among the most dangerous places to live as its people are exposed to high risks of natural disaster, poverty and social injustice. 

Black Panther spotted in Karnataka’s Nagarhole Tiger Reserve

• A forest range officer (FRO) in Karnataka’s Nagarhole Tiger Reserve (NTR) spotted a black panther. About half a dozen black panthers in Karnataka forests and one in Nagarhole.
• NTR stretches between Kodagu and Mysuru districts and was a protected reserve from the time of the Wodeyar dynasty, rulers of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysuru.

FACTFILE – Nagarhole National Park

• Nagarhole, which served as an exclusive hunting reserve of the Wodeyars, was made a wildlife sanctuary in 1955, covering an area of 284 square km – later stretched up to 643 square km.
• Nagarhole National Park is a national park located in Kodagu district and Mysore district in Karnataka, India. It is one of India’s premier Tiger Reserves along with the adjoining Bandipur Tiger Reserve and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
• This park was declared the thirty seventh Project Tiger, Tiger reserves of India in 1999. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
• The park has a healthy predator-prey ratio, with many tigers, Gaur, elephants, Indian leopards, and deer.

Venkaiah Naidu launches social media app ‘Elyments’

• Vice President, M Venkaiah Naidu launched India’s first indigenously developed social networking super app ‘Elyments’.
• The Vice President urged every Indian to adopt the AtmaNirbhar Bharat campaign to transform “Local” India into a “Glocal” India.
• The AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan was aimed at giving a new boost and a quantum jump to the economic potential of the country by strengthening infrastructure, using modern technologies, enriching human resource, and creating robust supply chains.
• It was a launchpad for fostering entrepreneurship, nurturing innovation, and creation of an ecosystem for rural-urban symbiotic development.
• Elyments is one of the first home-grown social media apps to emerge in the Indian market, developed by over 1,000 IT specialists, who are volunteers with spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s The Art of Living organization.
• The makers of Elyments have designed the app keeping in mind the user’s privacy as one of the primary keys of concern. It has an end-to-end encryption feature to ensure user’s private conversations are not seen by any third party.

Odisha Launches ‘Balaram’ Yojana 

• Odisha government launched, ‘Balaram Yojana’ to provide crop loans to landless farmers. Under the new scheme the landless cultivators will get loans through joint liability groups (JLGs).
• Under the scheme, the government has set a target to provide farm loans to 7 lakh landless farmers in next two years, with a kitty of Rs 1,040 crore.
• IMAGE and Agricultural Technology Management Agencies (ATMA) will coordinate the implementation of the yojana at the State and the district levels, respectively.
• 7,000 branches of several banks and Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies will coordinate the implementation in rural and small towns.

CBSE tie-up with Facebook to introduce curriculum on digital safety

• Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has partnered with Facebook to launch a curriculum to teach digital safety & online well-being and augmented reality (AR) to students and teachers.
• The digital safety and online well-being curriculum will be rolled out in phases. In the first phase, from July to October, it will be implemented across national education boards such as CBSE. In the second phase, it will be made available to state education boards.
• The curriculum will cover online safety, privacy, and mental health, and will use Instagram’s guide for building healthy digital habits.
• The AR course will teach the fundamentals of AR and train students and teachers how to use Facebook’s Spark AR Studio platform to create augmented reality experiences.

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