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Assam Current Affairs – October 25-27, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – October 25-27, 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the October 25-27, 2022)

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 316: July 2022, Week 4 

October 25-27, 2022

Government of India approved the establishment of Terai Elephant Reserve in Uttar Pradesh

The Union Ministry of Forest and Environment has given its approval to establish the Terai Elephant Reserve (TER) in Uttar Pradesh. 

Key Points

  • Terai Elephant Reserve (TER), which covers 3,049 sq km including Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and Pilibhit Tiger Reserve located in Lakhimpur and Pilibhit districts.
  • It will be the 33rd elephant reserve to be set up in India.
  • This reserve will be developed in the joint forest areas of Dudhwa and Piliphit tiger reserve and will cover the conservation of four wild species including tiger, Asian elephant, swamp deer, and one-horned rhinoceros.
  • The establishment of this reserve will help to conserve the trans-boundary migration of elephant populations and will also help to protect the neighbouring villages in the Indo-Nepal border area of Uttar Pradesh.
  • The government will provide all financial and technical assistance under project Elephant, which will help in handling human-elephant conflicts.

Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has included Myanmar on the list of high-risk countries 

The Financial Action Task Force(FATF) has included Myanmar on the list of high-risk countries called as ‘Black List’ and has called on members to apply enhanced due diligence to business relations and transactions in Myanmar.

Myanmar was added to the FATF list of high-risk nations for its failure to mark strategic deficiencies as committed by it in February 2020.

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Iran was put on blacklist by the anti-terror financing and anti-money laundering watchdog earlier in february in 2020.

Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

  • The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 to develop policies to combat money laundering and to maintain certain interest. 
  • The body checks the progress in implementing its recommendations through “peer reviews” of member nations.
  • It aims to set standards and boost the effective implementation of regulatory, legal, and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and other threats related to the integrity of the International financial system.
  • It is a “policy-making body” that works to generate the necessary political will to bring about national legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas.
  • The Grey List includes countries that are considered safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering and the Black List includes Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories (NCCTs) that support terror funding and money laundering activities.

Indian, US Militaries Conduct ‘Tiger Triumph’ Exercise

The Indian and US militaries carried out a three-day joint humanitarian assistance exercise in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

The 2022 edition of the Tiger Triumph exercise is the second joint exercise between India and the US to coordinate disaster relief in the region. The first exercise took place over the course of nine days in November 2019.

Key Points

  • Tiger Triumph exercise is a comprehensive endeavor of the Indian and US military and diplomatic representatives to provide coordinated disaster relief to a third country hit by a super-cyclone. 
  • Its objective was to streamline diplomatic, operational, and logistical coordination between the two countries while responding to disasters. 
  • This exercise sought to improve interoperability between India and the US and create a multinational command and control model for humanitarian assistance in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). 
  • It is the first tri-services exercise between the US and India.
  • Tiger Triumph marked the third time in 2022 that Indian and US militaries have worked together in Vishakhapatnam.

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launches LVM3 M2

Indian Space Research Organisation’s Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) mission will launch 36 OneWeb Gen-1 satellites, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

Key Points

  • LVM3 is the dedicated commercial satellite mission of New Space India Limited (NISL), a central public sector enterprise under the Department of Space. This is the first LVM3 dedicated commercial launch on demand through NSIL.
  • The 43.5 metre LVM3 weighing around 644 tonnes carried 36 satellites weighing 5,796 kg or about 5.7 tonne. 
  • The LVM3 was conceived primarily for launching geo-stationary satellites with a payload capacity of 4T, which can be used for launching 6T payloads for LEO. 
  • This is a three-stage launch vehicle consisting of two solid propellant S200 strap-ons on its sides and core stage comprising L110 liquid stage and C25 cryogenic stage.
  • With this launch, LVM3 has made its entry into the global commercial launch service market.

Assam Current Affairs – October 22-24, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – October 22-24, 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the October 22-24, 2022)

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 316: July 2022, Week 4 

October 22-24, 2022

Trees beyond forests initiative launched in Assam

The Government of Assam’s Department of Environment and Forests and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) launched the “Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI)” program in Assam. 

Key Points

  • The programme will bring together farmers, companies, and private institutions to rapidly expand tree coverage outside of traditional forests in the state.
  • The programme aims to increase carbon sequestration, aid local populations, and boost agriculture’s climate resilience, supporting global climate change mitigation and adaptation goals. 
  • Assam has given increasing the tree cover outside of forest regions great priority, as evidenced by the State Action Plan on Climate Change and the recent creation of the Assam Agroforestry Development Board (AADB). 
  • The program will be implemented in seven states including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Haryana, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
  • The programme aims to increase tree coverage outside of traditional forests by 2.8 million hectares, contributing to India’s nationally determined contribution target of creating an additional “carbon sink” of 2.5 to 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030.
  • Trees Outside Forests in India (TOFI) will improve the resilience of farming systems, while increasing the income of farmers in Assam, in partnership with Assam’s Environment and Forest Department and Assam Agroforestry Development Board (AADB).
  • TOFI will also leverage India’s private sector to promote and scale tree-based enterprises and the sale of carbon credits, helping to create jobs, boost incomes, and help families in Assam overcome the economic impacts of the pandemic.

India’s first indigenously-made aluminium freight train rake introduced  by Hindalco 

Union Minister for Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated India’s  first indigenously-made aluminium freight train rake at Bhubaneswar Railway Station.

Key Points

  • The aluminum rakes have been developed with the aim to modernise freight transportation and enable significant carbon savings for Indian Railways.
  • The aluminium goods train was jointly developed by Besco Limited Wagon Division and aluminium major Hindalco.
  • The aluminium rake is 180 tonnes lighter than the existing steel rake, which can carry 5-10% additional payload while consuming lesser energy. 
  • The aluminium train can save 8 to 10 tonnes of carbon footprint for every 100 kg weight reduction and this means saving more than 14,500 tonnes of CO2 for a single rake.

Global Youth Climate Summit Begins in Bangladesh

Global Youth Climate Summit has recently launched its Global Youth Climate Summit in Khulna, Bangladesh.

The three-day program to be held on October 20-22 will bring together 650 youth in a hybrid format with 150 youth participating in person and 500 online.

Global Youth Leadership Centre (GYLC) is being launched as a global organisation to mobilise youth especially from the Global South to tackle the climate crisis.

GYLC mission is to expand youth’s knowledge about climate science, equip them with leadership skills to take individual and collective action, and enable them to launch businesses that contribute to climate mitigation or adaptation. 

The youth taking part in the summit will undertake mangrove plantation in the Coastal belt to promote locally led climate adaptation and highlight the importance of mangroves, which are critical for human beings as well as for biodiversity. 

The Global Youth Climate Summit will bring together renowned climate scientists, policymakers, entrepreneurs, leadership experts, and youth climate activists.

Hyderabadi Haleem has won the ‘Most Popular GI’ food award

Hyderabadi Haleem has won the ‘Most Popular GI’ award in the food category. Hyderabadi Haleem has won the award in competition against 17 food items from across India including the Rasogulla, Bikaneri Bhujiya and Ratlami Sev.

The award was conferred by the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry to the director of Pista House and president of Hyderabad Haleem Makers Association MA Majeed. 

Key Points

  • Hyderabadi Haleem is a dish that is made up of meat, lentils, wheat, spices, and other ingredients. 
  • GI status was accorded for the first time to Hyderabadi Haleem in 2010. It expired in December 2019. The registrar of Geographical Indication renewed the tag earlier this year and the renewed GI status is now valid for 10 years.
  • GI tag is given to products to ensure that authorised users can only use the popular product name. 
  • Similarly, Thanjavur Art Plate from Tamil Nadu received the award in the handicraft category, Mysore Sandal Soap from Karnataka in the manufactured category, and Chuna Balua Patthar from Uttar Pradesh in the Natural category, respectively.
  • The winners of this award were chosen based on the popular vote in India and abroad and conducted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under the commerce ministry.

Tazuni unveiled as mascot for 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Penguin Tazuni has been unveiled as the official mascot of 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The design is based on the Eudyptula minor species that found in both host countries. “Tazuni” is the combination of Tasman Sea and the word unity.

Tazuni is a 15-year-old midfielder whose story involves her falling in love with football after playing with a group of children on a beach.

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World cup will be the 9th edition in the series and this is the first time both the nations will host the tournament.

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 327: October 2022, Week 3

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Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz Daily & Answers

(Useful for APSC Assam Civil Service Exam ( Prelim) and other Govt job exams)

Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

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Q1. Recently, President of India  Droupadi Murmu has inaugurated a supercomputer facility at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. The Supercomputer facility is called?

  1. PARAM 8000 
  2. Param 9000
  3. PARAMNet
  4. PARAM KAMRUPA

 PARAM KAMRUPA

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurates ‘PARAM KAMRUPA’ Supercomputer facility President of India, Droupadi Murmu has inaugurated a supercomputer facility at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati.

 

Q2. What is India’s position in the Global Hunger Index 2022?

  1. 52
  2. 93
  3. 101
  4. 107

  107

In the 2022 Global Hunger Index, India ranks 107th out of 121 countries with sufficient data to calculate 2022 GHI scores.

 

Q3. The 3rd World Kuchipudi Natyotsavam is being organised in which state?

  1. Karnataka
  2. Rajasthan
  3. Kerala
  4. Andhra Pradesh

 Andhra Pradesh

The third World Kuchipudi Natyotsavam would be organised for three days starting in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.

 

Q4. In which state, 5th edition of the Megha Kayak Festival 2022 has started?

  1. Goa
  2. Assam
  3. Meghalaya
  4. Kerala

 Meghalaya

Kayak Festival 2022 started in Meghalaya.

 

Q5. What is the rank of India in the Mercer Global Pension Index?

  1. 32
  2. 40
  3. 51
  4. 25

 40

The Indian pension system ranked 40th on the overall index ranking out of 43 systems, and had the lowest rank in the adequacy sub-index.

 

Q6. Which of the following is INCORRECTLY matched of Global Index and India’s Ranking in it?

  1. Global Hunger Index – India’s rank 107th
  2. Henley Passport Index 2022 – India’s rank 8th
  3. Global Crypto Adoption Index 2022 – India’s rank 4th
  4. World Competitiveness Index 2022 – India’s rank 37th

 Henley Passport Index 2022 – India’s rank 87th. 

 

Q7. Who has been named the FIH Player of the Year in the men’s category in 2022?

  1. Manpreet Singh
  2. Harmanpreet Singh
  3. Varun Kumar
  4. PR Sreejesh

 

 Harmanpreet Singh

India’s Harmanpreet Singh and Netherlands’ Felice Albers have been named the FIH Player of the Year for the 2021-2022 season in the men’s and women’s competitions respectively.

 

Q8. 1st edition of Women Indian Premier League will be played in which year?

  1. 2026
  2. 2025
  3. 2024
  4. 2023

 2023 

 

Q9. Who is the winner of the Men’s Ballon d’Or award 2022?

  1. Cristiano Ronaldo
  2. Lionel Messi
  3. Mohamed Salah
  4. Karim Benzema 

Karim Benzema

Real Madrid Star Karim Benzema won the Men’s Ballon d’Or Award 2022 for the first time. He is also the fifth Frenchmen to claim the prestigious prize, the first since Zinedine Zidane in 1998.

 

Q10. Rudrankksh Patil has recently won gold in the men’s 10m air rifle event in the ISSF World Championship. Which is the first Indian to achieve the feat?

  1. Abhinav Bindra
  2. Rudrankksh Patil
  3. Shiva Narwal
  4. Manu Bhaker

 Abhinav Bindra

18-year-old Rudrankksh Patil won gold in the men’s 10m air rifle event in the ISSF World Championship here, becoming only the second Indian to achieve the feat after the legendary Abhinav Bindra.

 

Q11. Which country has won the Cricket Women Asia Cup 2022?

  1. Sri Lanka
  2. Bangladesh
  3. India
  4. Pakistan

  India

The Indian women’s team won the Asia Cup 2022 defeating Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the final.



Q12. Which company produced the ‘Made-in-India’ “Droni” drone?

  1. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
  2. Garuda Aerospace
  3. Antrix Corporation
  4. Skyroot Aerospace

 Garuda Aerospace

A made-in-India camera drone ‘Droni’ has been with advanced features and was launched by the former Indian Cricket team Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

 

Q13. Which institution has recently released the ‘Living Planet Report 2022’?

  1. World Wide Fund for Nature
  2. Discovery Channel
  3. United Nations Environment Programme
  4. World Bank

  World Wide Fund for Nature

According to the latest Living Planet Report by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), there has been a 69 per cent decline in the wildlife populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish, across the globe in the last 50 years.

 

Q14. Which state announced to offer farmers a unique farm ID, similar to an Aadhaar number?

  1. Kerala
  2. Tamil Nadu
  3. Uttar Pradesh
  4. Gujarat

 Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh govt will provide a unique farm ID similar to an Aadhaar number to the farmers of the state.

 

Q15. Who has won the Booker Prize 2022?

  1. Annie Ernaux
  2. Shehan Karunatilaka
  3. Elizabeth Strout
  4. Anamaria Vartolomei

  Shehan Karunatilaka

Shehan Karunatilaka, a Sri Lankan author wins the Booker prize for “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida”.

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Assam Current Affairs – October 19-21, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – October 19-21, 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the October 19-21, 2022)

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 316: July 2022, Week 4 

October 19-21, 2022

Northeast Frontier Railway organises Rozgar Mela in Guwahati 

The ‘Rozgar Mela’ is an initiative adopted by the government of India for filling up vacancies at various central government departments including the railway department.

This initiative will be creating a scope for the aspirants who are looking forward to joining the Central Government services. 

The programme will be at Rang Bhavan Cultural Hall located at Maligaon, Guwahati. Central Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal will be handing over the appointment letters to the newly selected candidates.  

New candidates will be offered appointment letters across the nation. PM Narendra Modi addressed these selected candidates virtually.

The first tranche of new appointments will consist of 75,000 vacancies and the Ministry of Railways is one the contributor to the initial tranche of appointees.

Around 200 new recruiters from various government departments, including Railways, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), etc., will receive appointment letters in this programme.

This programme aims to fulfill the government’s commitment towards generating job opportunities for the youth and ensuring the mass’s welfare in the country.

Justice Dhanajaya Yeshwant Chandrachud appointed as the 50th Chief Justice of India

Justice Dhananjaya Yashwant Chandrachud appointed as the 50th Chief Justice of India. He will take over as CJI with effect from 9th November 2022. He will serve as the CJI for two years. 

He was administered the oath by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 

He was preceded by former CJI, UU Lalit, who served a short tenure of 74 days.  

DY Chandrachud is a former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court and Bombay High Court. He presently serves as the National Legal Services Authority’s executive chairman.

Justice Chnadrachud’s father Justice Y.V Chandrachud was the 16th Chief Justice of India.

Goa will host 9th World Ayurveda Congress & Arogya Expo

Union Minister of AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) and Arogya Expo at Panaji, Goa from 8th to 11th December 2022.

Key Points

  • The four-day event was supported by both the central and state governments and the Union Ministry of Ayush.
  • The 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) aims to create an accessible and affordable healthcare system that is in harmony with modern medicine practices.
  • The theme for the 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) this year is ‘Ayurveda For One Health’.
  • The motto of this year’s celebration is “Har Din Har Ghar Ayurveda” (Ayurveda Everyday, Ayurveda Everywhere). 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Mission LiFE

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Mission LiFE movement (Lifestyle for the Environment) at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat in the presence of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Key Points

  • Mission LiFE is an India-led global mass movement that will nudge individual and collective action to protect and preserve the environment.
  • It was introduced by Prime Minister Modi at the COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021. 
  • The mission emboldens the spirit of the P3 model, Pro Planet People. It unites the people of the earth as pro planet people, uniting them all in their thoughts. 
  • It functions on the basic principles of ‘Lifestyle of the planet, for the planet and by the planet’. 
  • It inspires us to do all that can be done in our everyday life to protect the environment and believes that the environment can be protected by making changes in our lifestyle.
  • PM Modi advocated a circular economy where the concept of ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ can help in striking a balance between the development, economic growth and sustainability.

India’s first ‘Migration Monitoring System’ inaugurated in Mumbai

India’s first ‘Migration Monitoring Systems’ was inaugurated by the Maharashtra Women and Children Development Minister Mangalprabhat Lodha in Mumbai. 

Key Points

  • The system has been developed by the Department of Women and Child Development. 
  • The website-based Migration Tracking System (MTS) will track the movements of vulnerable seasonal migrant beneficiaries through unique identification numbers.
  • The Migration Monitoring Systems aims to provide updated information on migrant pregnant women, lactating mothers and children instantly on a single system. 
  • The information about seasonal migrant women and children will be available on a single platform with the ‘Migration Monitoring Systems’.

Assam Current Affairs – October 16-18, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – October 16-18, 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the October 16-18, 2022)

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 316: July 2022, Week 4 

October 16-18, 2022

President Droupadi Murmu inaugurates ‘PARAM KAMRUPA’ Supercomputer facility at IIT Guwahati

President of India, Droupadi Murmu, inaugurated ‘PARAM KAMRUPA’ Supercomputer facility and a high-power active and passive component laboratory of SAMEER at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati.

Key Points

  • PARAM Kamrup, a one of its kind supercomputer in the NorthEast region, has been set up under the National Supercomputing Mission. 
  • It will provide advanced computing, healthcare techniques along with solutions for many issues to this region. Many components of this supercomputer developed indigenously.
  • The SAMEER laboratory will be used for the design and development of high-power microwave passive and active components. This facility will provide a platform for scientists to carry out research and development activities in different areas of high-power microwave engineering.
  • The National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) has deployed Supercomputer PARAM Ganga at IIT Roorkee in March 2022.

About National Supercomputing Mission 

  • The National Supercomputing Mission was launched In 2015 with the objective to enhance the research capacities in the country to form a Supercomputing grid. 
  • The mission is being jointly operated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
  • It supports the government’s vision of ‘Digital India’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives. 
  • It is implemented by Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune and IISc, Bengaluru.

Meghalaya will host ‘Megha Kayak Festival, 2022’

Meghalaya is all set to host a four-day mega global adventure sports spectacle, the ‘Megha Kayak Festival, 2022’, starting October 13 at the picturesque Umtrew River at Umtham Village.

Key Points

  • The event is organized by Meghalaya Tourism which is in line with Hon’ble Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s vision of showcasing the mesmerizing Meghalaya to the world.
  • The 2022 edition of the festival will see over 100 participants from around 20 countries across the world.
  • The festival will include white water kayaking events in three competition categories – Downriver Time Trial, Extreme Slalom and Downriver Freestyle for professionals as well as intermediate and amateur racers.
  • This festival will be a wonderful opportunity to promote adventure tourism and help establish Meghalaya as one of the major water sports destinations in the world.

Roger Binny elected as the 36th BCCI President

Former cricketer Roger Binny has been officially elected as the 36th Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president. He replaces Sourav Ganguly, who had been on the post since 2019. He was elected unopposed.

Binny has represented India in 27 Tests and 72 ODIs and has also served as a member of the national selection committee.

He was one of the architects of India’s 1983 World Cup triumph and president of Karnataka State Cricket Association. 

He previously served as a member of the BCCI selection committee.

Global Hunger Index 2022

India has ranked 107th out of 121 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2022. The GHI, aims to track prevalence of global hunger by region and by country. 

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is released by Concern Worldwide and Welt Hunger Hilfe. Its ultimate aim is to help the world achieve “Zero Hunger by 2030″.

Key Points

  • The proportion of undernourishment in the population went from 14.8 in 2014 to 16.3 in 2022.
  • India’s child wasting rate under five years jumped from 15.1 in 2014 to 19.3 in 2022.
  • Stunting in children under five has reduced from 38.7 in 2014 to 35.5 in 2022, and under-five mortality reduced from 4.6 in 2014 to 3.3 in 2022.
  • Prevalence of undernourishment has also risen in India from 14.6% in 2018-2020 to 16.3% in 2019-2021. 
  • India is ranked behind its neighbours Nepal (81), Pakistan (99), Sri Lanka (64), and Bangladesh (84).
  • India score of 29.1 which falls in the ‘serious’ category of hunger level.
  • The top of the list is dominated by European nations including Croatia, Estonia and Montenegro. Yemen has ranked in the lowest position at 121. 
  • China and Kuwait have ranked the highest among the Asian countries.
  • The 2022 GHI score (measured by a GHI score of 18.2) for the world is considered “moderate”. 

Indicators

The GHI, focuses on 4 main parameters

Undernourishment: The share of the population with insufficient caloric intake. 

Child stunting: The share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition. 

Child wasting: The share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition. 

Child mortality: The share of children who die before their fifth birthday, partly reflecting the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments.

Ukrainian people win European parliament’s Sakharov prize 

The people of Ukraine have been awarded the Sakharov Prize 2022 by the European Parliament for Freedom of Thought to honour their fight against Russia’s invasion. 

The Prize was bestowed to the people of Ukraine, represented by their president, elected leaders, and civil society.

This award recognizes the bravery of Ukrainians who have been affected by the Russian invasion and their role in defending freedom, democracy, rule of law, and European values on the battlefields. 

The Sakharov Prize involves prize money of 50,000 euros. 

About the Sakharov Prize

  • The Sakharov Prize was established in December 1988 by the European Parliament. 
  • This award is conferred to individuals or groups who have dedicated their life defending human rights and freedom of thought. 
  • The award is named in honor of Russian scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov.
  • The first award was given to South African Nelson Mandela and Russian Anatoly Marchenko. 
  • Previous year, the Sakharov prize was conferred to the imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
  • The first organization to receive the award in 1992 is the Argentine Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo.

Assam Current Affairs – October 13-15, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – October 13-15, 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the October 13-15, 2022)

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 316: July 2022, Week 4 

October 13-15, 2022

IIT Guwahati researchers feature in world’s top 2% scientists’ list released by Stanford University

A total of 21 researchers and faculty members from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati has been featured among the world’s top 2% Scientists List created by Stanford University, US.

Professor TG Sitharam along with 20 other faculty members have been ranked for their research publications citations using all Scopus author profiles as of September 1, 2022 and their lifetime contribution to their specific fields of research in the list. 

The IIT Guwahati faculty members featured in the Stanford University list are from various scientific fields, including the Departments of Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Chemical Engineering, Biosciences and Bioengineering, Chemistry, Electrical and Electronics.

Scientists are classified into 22 scientific fields and 176 sub-fields. The selection is based on the top 1 lakh scientists by c-score (with and without self-citations) or a percentile rank of 2 per cent or above in the sub-field.

President Murmu flags off first Kolkata-Agartala express train 

President Droupadi Murmu and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha flagged off the Guwahati-Kolkata-Guwahati train from Agartala Railway Station up to Agartala. 

President Murmu and Chief Minister Saha and also launched another leg of the Agartala-Jiribam-Agartala Jan Shatabdi Express to Khongsang in Manipur.

Key Points

  • President Murmu inaugurated the Tripura Judicial Academy and laid the foundation stone of the National Law University, Tripura.
  • President Murmu will lay the foundation stone for the Supercomputer facility Param Kamrupa and the facility for the design and development of high power microwave components at IIT Guwahati. 
  • The President will also lay the foundation stone of the Regional Institute of Medical College and Hospital at Dhubri, National Institute of Virology (NIV) at Dibrugarh (Assam) and Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh).
  • The President laid the foundation stone for 100 Model Secondary Schools for the tea garden areas. 
  • She introduced 3000 Model Anganwadi Centres and a modern Cargo cum Coaching Terminal at Agyathuri near Guwahati. 
  • The president also inaugurated Indian Oil Corporation Limited’s Rail-Fed Petroleum Storage Depot at Moinarbond in Silchar and also introduced two sections of National Highways connecting Silchar to Badarpur and Gohpur to Holong of Assam.

Logistics Performance Index 2022

According to a report released by the commerce and Industry Ministry, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Gujarat are among the 15 States and UTs categorised as achievers in the logistics index chart 2022.

The index is an indicator of the efficiency of logistical services necessary for promoting exports and economic growth.

Key Points

  • Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Puducherry, Sikkim and Tripura are the other States categorised as fast movers in the ranking.  
  • Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Ladakh, Nagaland, Jammu and Kashmir, and Arunachal Pradesh are among the 15 States and UTs rated in the aspirers category.
  • The other States and UTs in the achievers category include Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
  • The first logistics report was released in 2018. 
  • The index intends to increase the focus on strengthening the performance of logistics across states for enhancing the nation’s trade and lowering transaction costs. 

About Logistics Performance Index 

  • The Logistics Performance Index (LPI) is an interactive benchmarking tool created created by the World Bank to help countries identify the challenges and opportunities they face in their performance on trade logistics and what they can do to improve their performance. 
  • It is the weighted average of the country scores on six key dimensions: customs performance, infrastructure quality, ease of arranging shipments, logistics services quality, consignments tracking and tracing and timeliness of shipments. 
  • India ranks 44 in the Logistics Performance Index 2018. 

Hyderabad wins World Green City Award 2022 

The city of Hyderabad has won the prestigious ‘World Green City Award 2022’ . Hyderabad is the only Indian city that was selected for the ‘World Green City 2022,’ award, the best across all six categories.

The city has also won ‘Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth’ at the International Association of Horticulture Producers (AIPH) 2022 held in Jeju, South Korea. 

Key Points

  •  Hyderabad won the World Green Cities Award for taking initiatives relying on better use of plants and nature to make better city environments and for helping fulfill local aspirations for economic, social, and environmental resilience.
  • The award is a testimony to the continuous efforts and focuses of the Telangana government on increasing the green cover in the state through its flagship program “Telangana Ku Haritha Haram” (TKHH).
  •  The program aims to increase the tree cover of the state from 24% to 33% of the total area of the state.

Category-wise winners

  •  In the Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth category:  Green Garland to the State of Telangana, City of Hyderabad, India.
  •  In the Living Green for Biodiversity category: Reverdecer Bogotá, Bogota D.C, Colombia.
  •  In the Living Green for Climate Change category: Mexico City’s Environmental and Climate Change Program, Mexico City, Mexico.
  • In the Living Green for Health and Wellbeing category:Transforming degraded land into Urban Micro Parks, City of Fortaleza, Brazil
  •  In the Living Green for Water category: The Phytotechnology Stations at the Montréal Botanical Garden / Space for Life, City of Montreal, Canada.  
  • In the Living Green for Social Cohesion category: OASIS Schoolyard Project, City of Paris, France.

International Solar Alliance’s Fifth Assembly will be held in New Delhi

International Solar Alliance’s Fifth Assembly to be held in New Delhi from 17th to 20th October, 2022. India currently holds the position of President of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Assembly as per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Key Points

  • Ministers, missions and delegates from 109 Member and Signatory Countries are set to participate in this meeting.
  • The Assembly is the apex decision-making body of ISA, in which each Member Country is represented. This body makes decisions concerning the implementation of the ISA’s Framework Agreement and coordinated actions to be taken to achieve its objective. 
  • The Assembly meets annually at the ministerial level at the ISA’s seat. 
  • The Fifth Assembly of the ISA will deliberate on the key initiatives of ISA on three critical issues of energy access, energy security, and energy transition.
  • World leaders from ISA Member Countries will also discuss the strategic plan of the ISA in Programmatic Support for LDC and SIDS Member Countries, Capacity Building support to all developing Member Countries, and Analytics & Advocacy support to all Member Countries. 
  • The 5th Assembly is expected to lead to a greater consensus among countries for promotion of solar power. Increased international cooperation will be the backbone of energy transition, propelling investment and creating millions of new green jobs in this crucial decade of climate action.

International Solar Alliance (ISA) 

  • The International Solar Alliance is an international organisation with 109 member and signatory countries. 
  • It works with governments to improve energy access and security worldwide and promote solar power as a sustainable way to transition to a carbon-neutral future. 
  • ISA’s mission is to unlock US$ 1 trillion of investments in solar by 2030 while reducing the cost of the technology and its financing. 
  • It promotes the use of solar energy in the Agriculture, Health, Transport and Power Generation sectors. 
  • ISA member countries are driving change by enacting policies and regulations, sharing best practices, agreeing on common standards, and mobilising investments.
  • With the signing and ratification of the ISA Framework Agreement by 15 countries in 2017, ISA became the first international intergovernmental organization to be headquartered in India.

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 326: October 2022, Week 2

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Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 326: October 2022, Week 2

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

Quiz Home Page Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

 

Q1. Who has won SASTRA Ramanujan Prize 2022?

  1. Manjul Bhargava
  2. Akshay Venkatesh
  3. Yunqing Tang
  4. Kathrin Bringmann

  Yunqing Tang

The SASTRA Ramanujan Prize 2022 will be awarded to Yunqing Tang, Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, USA.

 

Q2. The ‘International Day of Non-Violence’ observed across the world on

  1. October 2
  2. October 9
  3. January 30
  4. October 29

 October 2

Every year, on 2 October, the International Day of Non-Violence is observed across the world. This special day marks the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The main objective of this day is to spread awareness about the idea of non-violence. In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed the resolution to commemorate the International Day of Non-Violence. This year, the UN has selected the slogan of ‘Say No to Violence’.

 

Q3. Who has become the first athlete to win gold in Yogasana at the 36th National Games 2022?

  1. Pooja Patel
  2. Shubhankar Vinay Khawle
  3. Shauryajit Khaire
  4. Priya Singh

 Pooja Patel

At the 36th National Games, Pooja Patel of Gujarat has become the first athlete to win gold in Yogasana. Yogasana is one of the five sports to be played at the National Games this year for the first time.

 

Q4.  Cheetahs were recently introduced in the Kuno National Park, this national park is located in which state?

  1. Madhya Pradesh
  2. Arunachal Pradesh
  3. Meghalaya
  4. Maharashtra

 Madhya Pradesh

The Centre has constituted a 9-member Task Force to monitor Cheetah introduction in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh and other designated areas.

 

Q5. Recently, Indian President Droupadi Murmu launched ‘herSTART’, an initiative aimed at supporting women-led startups in which state?

  1. Assam
  2. Haryana
  3. West Bengal
  4. Gujarat

  Gujarat

President Smt Droupadi Murmu launched herSTART, an initiative of Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council (GUSEC) aimed at supporting women-led startups in scaling up, the second and final day of her first visit to Gujarat as the President.

 

Q6. Which of the following village has been declared India’s first 24×7 solar-powered village?

  1. Modhera
  2. Mawlynnong
  3. Malana
  4. Mandawa

  Modhera

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared Modhera in Gujarat’s Mehsana District as India’s first 24×7 solar-powered village.

 

Q7. Who is set to take over as the 50th Chief Justice of India (CJI) after Justice UU Lalit?

  1. Justice K.M. Joseph
  2. Justice S. Abdul Nazeer
  3. Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul
  4. Justice DY Chandrachud

 Justice DY Chandrachud

Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud is set to take over as the 50th Chief Justice of India (CJI) after the present Chief Justice UU Lalit formally recommended him as his successor.

 

Q8. Which state has recently enacted the “Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Ordinance, 2022”?

  1. Tamil Nadu
  2. Odisha
  3. Tripura
  4. Goa

 Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi gave his assent to an ordinance to ban online gambling and regulate online gaming in the state.

 

Q9. India’s space economy is likely to be of how much worth by 2025?

  1. USD 5 billion
  2. USD 5 trillion
  3. USD 13 billion
  4. USD 13 trillion

 USD 13 billion

India’s space economy is likely to be worth nearly USD 13 billion by 2025, with the satellite launch services segment set to witness the fastest growth spurred by increasing private participation.

 

Q10.  According to the Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRII) 2022, India’s rank in the world for reducing inequality is

  1. 98
  2. 123
  3. 139
  4. 153

  123

According to the latest Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRII), India has been ranked 123 out of 161 countries from rank 129 in 2020.

 

Q11. Which organization has recently released the ‘Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2022’ Report?

  1. International Monetary Fund
  2. Asian Development Bank
  3. World Bank
  4. Niti Aayog

  World Bank

The World Bank has released a report, titled “Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2022. Correcting Course” that provides the latest estimates and trends in global poverty and shared prosperity.

 

Q12. Which state has launched a ‘Mahatma Gandhi Rural Industrial Parks’ (MGRIP) scheme?

  1. Rajasthan
  2. Himachal Pradesh
  3. Haryana
  4. Chhattisgarh
 Chhattisgarh

 

Q13. Which state will host the 37th National Games in October 2023?

  1. Sikkim
  2. Puducherry
  3. Goa
  4. Kerala

 Goa 

The Indian Olympic Association has confirmed that Goa will host the 37th edition of the National Games in October next year.

 

Q14. Which state topped the Logistics Index in LEADS (Logistics Ease Across Different States) 2022 report?

  1. Maharashtra
  2. Karnataka
  3. Uttar Pradesh
  4. Andhra Pradesh

 Andhra Pradesh

The Union Commerce and Industry Ministry launched the LEADS (Logistics Ease Across Different States) 2022 report.

Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Gujarat are among the 15 States and UTs categorised as achievers in the logistics index chart 2022. The index is an indicator of efficiency of logistical services necessary for promoting exports and economic growth.

 

Q15. Who won the 2022 UN Refugee Award?

  1. Kailash Satyarthi
  2. Angela Merkel
  3. Jacinda Ardern
  4. Sanna Marin
 Angela Merkel

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel Wins UN Refugee Award 2022

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Assam Current Affairs – October 10-12, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – October 10-12, 2022

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the October 10-12, 2022)

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 316: July 2022, Week 4 

October 10-12, 2022

Cabinet approved the scheme “Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East Region (PM-DevINE)

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently approved the Prime Minister’s development initiative for the North East region (PM-DevINE).

PM-DevINE was announced in the Union Budget 2022-23 to address development gaps in the North Eastern Region (NER).

Key Points 

  • The PM-DevINE is a 100% Central Government funded plan and will be administered by the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER).
  • The PM-DevINE will be operational for the remaining four years of the 15th Finance Commission, from 2022-23 to 2025-26 and will have an outlay of Rs 6,600 crore.
  • PM-DevINE will be implemented by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), through the North Eastern Council or central ministries and agencies.
  • The PM-DevINE will lead to the creation of infrastructure, support industries, social development projects, and create livelihood activities for youth and women.
  • PMDevINE will provide support to infrastructure and social development projects which may be larger in size and will also provide an end–to-end development solution instead of isolated projects.

India’s first Slender Loris Sanctuary will be established in Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu government has notified the country’s first Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary in Karur and Dindigul districts.

Key Points

  • The Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary will be covering 11,806 hectares in the Karur and Dindigul districts of the State.
  • The Kadavur slender loris sanctuary is to cover Vedasandur, Dindigul East and Natham taluks in Dindigul district and Kadavur taluk in Karur district. 
  • The government notified ‘Kadavur slender loris sanctuary’ under Section 26 (A)(1)(b) of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
  • The species is considered endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

About Slender Loris

  • The slender lorises are a genus of loris native to India and Sri Lanka.
  • The genus comprises two species, the red slender loris found in Sri Lanka and the gray slender loris from Sri Lanka and India.
  • They are small nocturnal mammals that are arboreal in nature as they spend most of their life on trees, travelling along the tops of branches with slow and precise movements.
  • The species acts as a biological predator of pests in agricultural crops and benefits farmers.
  • The survival of the species depends on its habitat improvement, conservation efforts and mitigation of threats.

Prime Minister declared Modhera as India’s first solar-powered village

The Prime Minister declared Modhera, a village in the Mehsana district of Gujarat as India’s first solar-powered village.

Key Points

  • The Modhera village has a ground-mounted solar power plant, and over 1,300 rooftop solar systems with 1kW capacity have been installed on houses to generate electricity.
  • Modhera was well known for the Sun temple, now it will also be known as a solar-powered village. 
  • The people in the village wouldn’t pay for electricity, rather they could start selling it and earn from energy produced by the solar panel by selling it to the government grid. 
  • It will generate employment at the village level, and ultimately improve the standard of living.
  • The project will enhance the sustainable implementation of various welfare projects in the area. The people of the area will be able to save 60-100% of their electricity bills. 

Jharkhand record country’s highest percentage of child marriage

According to the latest demographic sample survey by the Union Home Ministry, Jharkhand has recorded the highest percentage of underage girls getting married.

The Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report contains estimates of various demographic, fertility and mortality indicators based on the data collected through one of the largest demographic surveys in the world covering about 8.4 million sample population. 

Key Points

  • According to the survey brought out by the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, the percentage of girls getting married before attaining majority is as high as 5.8 in Jharkhand.
  • As per the survey, the percentage of females who got effectively married before reaching 18 years of age is 1.9 at the national level and varies from 0.0 in Kerala to 5.8 in Jharkhand.
  • In Jharkhand, child marriages accounted for 7.3% of marriages in rural areas and three per cent in urban areas. 
  • Jharkhand and West Bengal are the only two States in the country where more than half of the women are married before attaining the age of 21 years.
  • In West Bengal 54.9 percent of girls are married before attaining the age of 21 years, while in Jharkhand is 54.6 percent as against the national average of 29.5 per cent.

Goa will host the 37th edition of the National Games in October 2023

The Indian Olympic Association has confirmed that Goa will host the 37th edition of the National Games in October next year. 

The Goa state government has conveyed to the IOA its in-principle approval to host the next edition of the National Games.

Goa was set to host the 36th edition of the National Games but the IOA had to shift the venue to Gujrat, who agreed to conduct the event in a short span of time.

The Goa delegation may receive the IOA flag at the Closing Ceremony of the 36th National Games on 12th October 2022 in Surat, Gujarat.

The 35th National Games of India were held in Kerala in 2015. 

Assam Current Affairs – October 07-09, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – October 07-09, 2022

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

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 316: July 2022, Week 4 

October 07-09, 2022

Kerala’s Pullampara named first fully digital literate panchayat

The Pullumpara village panchayat in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala has become the first digitally literate panchayat in the country. 

Digital literacy was imperative for the public to get government services as well as connect with the global knowledge network.

Key Points

  • The project was started on August 15, 2021 with the plans to impart digital literacy to all residents of the panchayats under the Digi Pullampara project. 
  • The project mission is to achieve total digital literacy and empower the residents to get access to government services available through the online mode. 
  • Full digital literacy was gained by Pullampara panchayat’s ‘DigiPullampara’ project. 
  • The left democratic front (LDF) government in Kerala had announced to extend digital literacy to all the residents. The government has also created Kerala – Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) to provide an internet connection to all and to ensure its promise of making access to the internet a basic right.

World’s largest jungle safari park will be set up in Haryana

Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar announced that the world’s largest safari park will be set up in the state. The safari park will be spread across an area of 10000 acres in the Aravalli Mountain Range of Gurugram and Nuh District.

Key Points

  • Haryana’s Jungle Safari project will be a joint project of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India and the Government of Haryana. The central government will also help with the funds to Haryana for the project.
  • The proposed Aravalli Park will be 5 times the size and will include a large herbarium, an aviary, four zones for big cars, a large area for herbivores, an area for exotic animal/birds, an underwater world, natural trails, visitors, tourism zones, botanical garden, biomes, equatorial, tropical, coastal, desert, etc.
  • The Jungle safari scheme will not only boost tourism but also provide employment opportunities to local residents.
  • This project will be the largest such project in the world. Currently, Sharjah is the home to the largest curated safari park outside Africa, which covers an area of about 2,000 acres. The park was opened in February 2022.

Union Environment Ministry set up Cheetah task force

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has constituted a Task Force for monitoring Cheetah introduction in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh and other suitable designated areas.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) would facilitate the working of the Cheetah Task Force and render all necessary help.  

Key Points

  • According to the ministry the task force has been constituted for a period of 2 years.
  • The Task Force has been constituted to review, progress and monitor the health status of Cheetah.
  • It will also look over the upkeep of the quarantine & soft release enclosures, protection status of the entire area, adherence to the defined protocols by forest & veterinary officials.
  • It will suggest and advise on development of tourism infrastructure in the fringe areas of Kuno National Park and other Protected Areas. 
  • The Task Force regularly interacts with Cheetah mitras and local communities for their awareness raising and also involvement in protection of Cheetahs in particular & area in general.
  • In addition to these, the task force will also be responsible for monitoring hunting skills and adaptation of Cheetahs to the habitat of Kuno National Park.
  • Cheetah restoration is part of a prototype or model for restoration of original cheetah habitats and their biodiversity, which aimed at putting a check to degradation and rapid loss of biodiversity. 

Pankaj Advani wins gold at IBSF World Billiards Championships in Kuala Lumpur

India’s Pankaj Advani has won a gold medal at the 2022 IBSF World Billiards Championship in Kuala Lumpur. This is Pankaj Advani’s 25th world title. 

He defeated compatriot Sourav Kothari  by ‘4-0’ in the 150-up billiards final at the World Championships in Kuala Lumpur. This is Advani’s  title for the fifth time in a row.

Advani’s last world title came over 12 months ago in Qatar where he won the IBSF 6-Red Snooker World Cup.

RBI Releases Concept Note On Central Bank Digital Currency

The Reserve Bank of India has released a Concept Note on Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The purpose of this Concept Note is to create awareness about CBDCs in general and the planned features of the digital Rupee, in particular. 

It is a sovereign currency issued by Central Banks in alignment with their monetary policy.

Key Points

  • The Reserve Bank defines CBDC as the legal tender issued by a central bank in a digital form. 
  • It is substantially not different from banknotes, but being digital it is likely to be easier, faster and cheaper. 
  • It also has all the transactional benefits of other forms of digital money.
  • It’s a digital bearer instrument that can be stored, transferred, and transmitted by all kinds of digital payment systems and services.
  • The concept note also discusses key considerations such as technology and design choices, possible uses of Digital Rupee, issuance mechanisms, etc. 
  • It examines the implications of the introduction of CBDC on the banking system, monetary policy, financial stability, and analyses privacy issues.

Assam Current Affairs – October 04-06, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – October 04-06, 2022

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

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 316: July 2022, Week 4 

October 04-06, 2022

AFSPA extended in Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh for six months

The Central government has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act — known as AFSPA for another six months in 12 districts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

It has also been extended in certain parts of five other districts of the two northeastern states to facilitate the armed forces to continue the anti-insurgency operations.

The AFSPA will be extended for six months in nine districts of Nagaland: Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, and Zunheboto and and 16 police stations areas in four other districts — Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng, and Wokha.

Nagaland has 16 districts while Arunachal Pradesh has 26 districts. This was announced in a notification by the Home Ministry. 

About the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA)

  • The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), passed by the Indian Parliament in 1958 to the Indian Armed Forces to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”.
  • The Disturbed Areas (Special Courts) Act of 1976 states that once an area is designated as “disturbed,” it must remain that way for at least six months. 
  • One such law, which was passed on September 11, 1958, applied to the Naga Hills, which were then a part of Assam. It gradually expanded to the other Seven Sister States in northeastern India during the next decades.

Indian-origin Vivek Murthy is appointed as US representative on WHO executive board

US President Joe Biden has nominated Indian-origin Dr. Vivek Murthy to serve as the country’s representative on the executive board of the World Health Organisation.

Dr Murthy will serve as the US Representative on WHO Executive Board alongside his continued duties as the US Surgeon General.

Key Points

  • In March 2021, he was confirmed by the US Senate to serve as the 21st Surgeon General of the country. 
  • Previously, he served as the 19th Surgeon General under President Barack Obama. 
  • He is the Vice Admiral of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. 
  • He commands a uniformed service of over 6,000 dedicated public health officers, serving the most underserved and vulnerable populations.
  • He is also the first Indian-origin Surgeon General of the US, he was raised in Miami and graduated from Harvard, the Yale School of Medicine, and the Yale School of Management.

India emerges as the world’s largest producer and consumer of sugar

India emerges as the world’s largest producer and consumer of sugar and world’s 2nd largest exporter of sugar. 

Key Points

  • In Sugar Season (Oct-Sep) 2021-22, a record of more than 5000 Lakh Metric Tons (LMT) of sugarcane was produced in the country out of which about 3574 LMT of sugarcane was crushed by sugar mills to produce about 394 LMT of sugar (Sucrose). Out of this, 35 LMT sugar was diverted to ethanol production and 359 LMT sugar was produced by sugar mills.
  • During 2020-21, India made records with the highest exports of about 109.8 LMT with no financial assistance and earned foreign currency of about Rs 40,000 crore for the country.
  • Timely Government interventions since the last 5 years have been crucial in building the sugar sector step by step from taking them out of financial distress in 2018-19 to the stage of self-sufficiency in 2021-22.
  • During the Sugar season 2021-22, sugar mills procured sugarcane worth more than 1.18 lakh crore and released payment of more than 1.12 lakh crore with no financial assistance (subsidy) from Government of India.
  • Government has been encouraging sugar mills to divert sugar to ethanol and also to export surplus sugar so that sugar mills may make payment of cane dues to farmers in time and also mills may have better financial conditions to continue their operations. 

SASTRA Ramanujan Prize for 2022 

The SASTRA Ramanujan Prize for 2022 will be awarded to Yunqing Tang Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, USA.

Ms. Yunqing’s works “display a remarkable combination of sophisticated techniques, in which the arithmetic and geometry of modular curves and of Shimura varieties play a central role, and her results and methods are bound to have major impact on future research in this area.”

Tang’s latest joint work with Frank Calegari and Vesselin Dimitrov based on modular equations is of great significance and has connections with Ramanujan’s own work.

The prize will be awarded at the International Conference on Number Theory during December 20-22, 2022 at SASTRA University.

About SASTRA Ramanujan Prize

  • The award was instituted by the Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA) in 2005. 
  • The award includes a cash prize of $10,000 and it is presented annually to individuals aged 32 and below, who made an outstanding contribution to the field of mathematics.

Ajay Bhadoo has been appointed as the Deputy Election Commissioner 

Ajay Bhadoo has been appointed as the Deputy Election Commissioner of the Election Commission of India. 

Ajay Bhadoo is a 1999-batch Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) officer of the Gujarat cadre. He has been appointed as the deputy election commissioner until July 24, 2024 or till further order, whichever is earlier.

He was appointed as Joint Secretary to former President Ram Nath Kovind in July 2020. His two-month extension as Joint Secretary in the President’s Secretariat ended on September 25. 

Earlier, he has also served as Gujarat’s Vadodara Municipal Commissioner.