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Assam Current Affairs – October 15 – 21, 2019

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Current Affairs Assam – October 15 - 21, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of October 15 – 21, 2019 )

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October 15, 2019

 IIT Guwahati joins hands with Japan institute for international symposium
  • Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Guwahati, in collaboration with the Kyoto Institute of Technology (KIT), will organise an international symposium on ‘Advances in Sustainable Polymers (ASP-19)’ from October 14 to October 18 at the KIT, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
  • ASP-19 is the fifth international symposium of the ASP series.
  • The aim of the symposium is to provide a platform to researchers to share recent state-of-the-art advances in the area of sustainable polymers.
  • The symposium will include plenary lectures and invited lectures on recent advances in several aspects of sustainable polymer-based technologies.
  • ASP-19 will also host three bilateral symposia as a part of the symposium.
  • They are on ‘Industrial Forum – Bio-based Materials Developed by Worldwide Industries’, the Second India-Nepal-Japan Trilateral Joint Symposium and the IITG-KIT Joint Symposium.
  • Apart from IIT-Guwahati and KIT, the symposium is supported by Kansai Branch, the Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan, Mille-Feuille Structure Materials, Unitika Shusei-kai, the Society of Polymer Science, Japan, and Research Committee on Fundamental Fiber Science, the Society of Fiber Science and Technology Japan.
 Delhi cabinet nod for new skill, entrepreneurship university
  • The Delhi Cabinet gave its approval for a new skill and entrepreneurship development university with an initial capacity of 50,000 students.
  • The proposal will require clearance from the Lt Governor before its approval by the Assembly.
  • The new Delhi Skills and Entrepreneurship (DSE) University will focus on imparting the skills and knowhow to the youth that will equip them for employment.
  • Different courses, ranging between six months to two years, will be made available for students from Class 10 to the graduate and post graduate levels.
  • The courses will have also have high level of flexibility in terms of redesigning for the requirements.
  • The proposed varsity”s initial intake will be 50,000 students, who will be enrolled in regular and part-time courses in various streams.
  • Students who complete Class 10, Class 12, and graduation can join the University for courses ranging from durations like 6 months, one year, two years and so on.
 Andhra Pradesh launches ”Rythu Bharosa” scheme
  • Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched ”YSR Rythu Bharosa scheme-PM Kisan” scheme, under which each farmer will get Rs. 13,500 as input assistance every year.
  • The Chief Minister launched the flagship scheme at Kakutur in Nellore district by handing over cheques to beneficiaries.
  • The scheme is expected to benefit 54 lakh farmers including landless tenant farmers across the state. The amount will be deposited in the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
  • The beneficiaries under PM Kisan Nidhi scheme of the Centre will get Rs. 6,000 while the remaining amount will be paid by the state government.
  • Those not covered under the Centre”s scheme will get the entire assistance from the state.
  • Beneficiary farmers were given Rs. 2,000 each in June and now they will get Rs. 9,500. Another Rs. 2,000 will be paid during ”Sankranthi”.
  • From next year, every beneficiary will get Rs. 7,500 in May at the beginning of Kharif sowing season, Rs. 4,000 in October for harvesting Kharif crop or for Rabi needs.
  • The remaining Rs. 2,000 will be paid on the occasion of ”Sankranthi”.
 Margaret Atwood,Bernardine Evaristo won 2019 Booker Prize
  • Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo jointly won the 2019 Booker Prize after judges “flout” the rules by declaring a tie.
  • British Indian novelist Salman Rushdie’s tragicomic ‘Quichotte’ was among the six books shortlisted for the prize.
  • The Booker rules say the prize must not be divided, but the judges insisted they “couldn’t separate” Atwood’s ‘The Testament’ and ‘Girl, Woman, Other’ by Evaristo, who is the first black woman to win the prestigious award since its creation in 1969.
  • The rules were changed after the last tie in 1992, and organisers told this year’s judges that they were not allowed to pick two winners.
  • The judges said they strongly wanted both the authors to split the GBP 50,000 award at a gala ceremony at Guildhall
  • The others shortlisted included Lucy Ellmann for ‘Ducks, Newburyport’, Chigozie Obioma for ‘An Orchestra of Minorities’, and Elif Shafak for ’10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World’.
  • The 2019 shortlist had been selected from 151 submitted books published in the UK or Ireland between October 2018 and September 2019.

  October 16, 2019

 3rd Shirui Lily Festival begins in Ukhrul, Manipur
  • The 3rd Shirui Lily Festival got under way at Shirui village in Ukhrul in the presence of ministers, dignitaries and a large gathering of people. The festival will end on October 19.
  • Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (in-charge) Prahlad Singh Patel said that there would be no tourism without culture. A collective effort is needed from all stakeholders to explore ways to attract tourists to the State. The North East region is gifted with scenic beauty and a rich cultural heritage.
  • The Manipur Government has been urging the Centre for a “topographical need-based budget” to bring inclusive development to the State.
  • The performance by Scottish band Nazareth will be the highlight of this year’s festival.

FACTFILE – Shirui Lily Festival

  • The annual festival is hosted by state Department of Tourism in Ukhrul district. The event features demonstrations of age-old traditions and culture of inhabitants of district of Ukhrul. The festival is organized during this time keeping in mind the peak blooming season of flower.
  • Festival seeks to spread the awareness about the endangered Shirui Lily and promote the district of Ukhrul as a tourist destination in Manipur.
  • The lilies of Shirui: The lilies play a significant role in festival. The rare, pink-white flower is only found in this area. The lilies are also known as Siroy Lily, or Lilium Macklinae, named after Jean Macklin, who supposedly spotted these flowers in 1946.
  • Manipur Tourism recognizes importance of Shirui Lily as State Flower of Manipur and event is a part of its efforts to develop and implement sustainable and responsible tourism State.
 India, US Special Forces hold joint military drill
  • A 45-member Special Forces team from the Indian Army has begun a 15-day joint military drill with US Special Forces in Seattle. The exercise ”Vajra Prahar” commenced at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
  • This is the 10th edition of the exercise, which is conducted alternately between India and the US to share the best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning capabilities and operational tactics.
  • Bilateral military exercises and defence exchanges are an important aspect of deepening bilateral defence cooperation between India and USA.
  • In 2018, the exercise was held in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
 India hands over 2- Mi 24V choppers to Afghanistan
  • India handed over two Mi 24V gunship helicopters to Afghanistan at a ceremony held in Kabul.
  • The attack chopper, which is also capable of low-capacity troop transport, was handed over to Afghanistan”s Defence Minister Asadullah Khalid by India”s Ambassador Vinay Kumar.
  • These helicopters are meant as replacement for four helicopters that had earlier been gifted by India to Afghanistan in the year 2015-16.
  • The handover took place at a military airport in Afghanistan.
 Government Announced 14 new Institutes for Media and Entertainment Sector
  • The government announced that 14 new institutes will be set up across nine cities for advanced skill training in the media and entertainment sector.
  • The 14 Authorised World Skills India Training Centers (AWSITC) would be set up in nine cities – Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore, Mumbai, Pune, Shillong and Thiruvanthapuram.
  • The state-of-the-art AWSITCs, set up in partnership with the Media and Entertainment Skill Council (MESC), will help the candidates to enhance their skill as per the global standards.
  • The new institutes are being set up for advanced skill training of candidates in the media and entertainment sector, not just to compete in the WorldSkills and IndiaSkills competitions but also to further develop the skilling eco-system for training candidates for the international market.
  • In the biennial WorldSkills competition the 48-member Indian team won one gold, one silver, two bronze medals besides 15 medallions of excellence at the competition.
  • These world class state of the art centres will help in preparing the candidates to be ready in making our country proud at various competitions and also equip them with enhanced skills in order to become industry ready.

 

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 October 17, 2019

 Assam set to have India’s first International Multi-Modal Hub
  • Assam Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said that the state is all set to have India’s first International Multi-Modal Hub.
  • He said that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to fund the project at an estimated cost of around Rs 600 crore.
  • The Government of Assam is planning to develop Jogighopa, a small township near Brahmaputra river, as a logistics hub or trans-shipment point for cargo moving from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland to Bangladesh.
  • The Munshiganj River Terminal in Bangladesh will be used as a customs station to handle third-party export and import cargo via Kolkata Port.
  • The Bangladesh government agreed to hold stakeholder consultations and revert on the matter.
  • Standard operating procedure for the use of Chattagram and Mongla ports for movement of goods to and from India, particularly to and from the Northeast of India has recently been concluded.
 Half of India’s children suffer from malnutrition, says UNICEF Report
  • UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children report for 2019, the first UNICEF report in 20 years on child nutrition, shows one in three children under the age of five years – around 200 million children worldwide – are either undernourished or overweight. And in India, every second child is affected by some form of malnutrition.
  • 35% of Indian children suffer from stunting due to lack of nutrition, 17% suffer from wasting, 33% are underweight and 2% are overweight.
  • According to govt figures, stunting and wasting among children in the country has reduced by 3.7 per cent and the number of underweight children have reduced by 2.3 per cent from 2016 to 2018.
  • Among countries in South Asia, India fares the worst (54%) on prevalence of children under five who are either stunted, wasted or overweight. Afghanistan and Bangladesh follow at 49% and 46%, respectively. Sri Lanka and the Maldives are the better performing countries in the region, at 28% and 32%, respectively.
 India conducts bilateral air exercise ‘Eastern Bridge V’ with Oman
  • India’s bilateral air exercise with Oman Exercise Eastern Bridge V, is being held at the Air Force Base Masirah in Oman from October 17-26.
  • The MiG 29 fighter aircraft of Indian Air Force (IAF) will be flying alongside the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-16 in India”s bilateral air exercise with Oman.
  • This is the first occasion that the MiG 29 will participate in an international air exercise outside India.
  • The Royal Air Force Oman will fly its UK-made advanced trainer aircraft Hawk too during the 10-day air exercise.
  • India”s military transport aircraft C-17 Globemaster will also participate in the air exercise.
  • The exercise will enhance inter-operability during mutual operations between the two air forces and will provide an opportunity to learn from each other”s best practices.
  • The participation of IAF in the exercise will also promote professional interaction, exchange of experience and operational knowledge.
  • Besides strengthening bilateral relations, it will also provide a good opportunity to the air-warriors to operate in an international environment.
 Union Environment Ministry directed Assam Govt to take steps to declare Poba reserve forest a wildlife sanctuary
  • The Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry has directed the Assam government to take necessary steps to declare the Poba reserve forest in the state’s Dhemaji district a wildlife sanctuary.
  • Assm’s prominent wildlife and nature conservation organization Nature’s Beckon wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his immediate intervention in declaring the Poba reserve forest as a wildlife sanctuary.
  • The PMO forwarded the letter to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change directing for actions and steps as necessary by the Assam Forest Department to declare Poba as a wildlife sanctuary.

FACTFILE – Poba Reserved Forest

  • Poba Reserved Forest is situated in Jonai Subdivision of Dhemaji District of Assam.
  • The Reserved Forest (RF) was created in the year 1924 and covers an area of 10,221 hectares.
  • Poba is one of the richest rain forests of North-East India in terms of the flora and fauna found in it and can be very well termed a biodiversity hotspot.
  • The forest receives annual rainfall of 3600 mm to 4000 mm; highest temperature so far recorded is 35°C in summer and lowest 7.0°C in winter.
  • RF is an important elephant corridor linking the foot hills of Arunachal Pradesh and Dibru Saikhowa National Park via the proposed Kobu Chapori Reserve Forest. Peripheral area of the RF is inhabited by a few ethnic groups such as Mising, Bodo, Sonowal Kachari and Hajong (Rabha).
  • Poba forest is under serious threats from anthropogenic activities and natural calamities particularly erosion by the Siang river.

October 18, 2019

  Hailakandi first district in Assam to introduce online leave application
  • The government employees working under the Hailakandi district administration need to file their applications online and can proceed on leave only after getting a digital approval, as henceforth no leave applications will be accepted on paper.
  • Deputy Commissioner, Keerthi Jalli inaugurated the new online leave module at her office conference hall.
  • Hailakandi becomes the first district in Assam to introduce such a system.
  • The Circle Offices in the district, too, have come under the new system. Additional Deputy Commissioner Omar Sheriff will look after leave related matters of the DC establishment while the Circle Officers will man their respective offices.
  • The employee needs to apply online which will then go to the reporting officer for approval. Each employee has been allotted a login ID and password.
  • After the leave is applied by the employee either through the mobile phone or personal computer on the Manav Sampada website, the reporting officer will either approve or reject the leave and the employee can see the leave status whether it has been approved or cancelled by the reporting officer. Users can also check the status of leave balance.
 Karnataka tops India Innovation Index 2019
  • Karnataka has been ranked as the most innovative state in the country. These rankings were released by the NITI Aayog under the India Innovation Index 2019.
  • Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Telangana, Haryana, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh form the remaining top ten major states respectively.
  • Sikkim and Delhi take the top spots among the north – eastern & hill states, and union territories.
  • Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh are the most efficient states in translating inputs into output.
  • The study is an outcome of extensive research and analysis, which looks holistically at the innovation landscape of India by examining the innovation capabilities and performance of Indian states and union territories.
  • The aim is to create a holistic tool which can be used by policymakers across the country to identify the challenges to be addressed and strengths to build on when designing the economic growth policies for their regions
  • Karnataka is the leader in the overall rankings in the category of major states. Karnataka”s number one position in the overall ranking is partly attributed to its top rank in the performance dimension.
  • It is also among the top performers in infrastructure, knowledge workers, knowledge output and business environment.

FACTFILE – The India Innovation Index 2019

  • The India Innovation Index 2019 is calculated as the average of the scores of its two dimensions – Enablers and Performance.
  • The Enablers are the factors that underpin innovative capacities, grouped in five pillars: (1) Human Capital, (2) Investment, (3) Knowledge Workers, (4) Business Environment, and (5) Safety and Legal Environment. The Performance dimension captures benefits that a nation derives from the inputs, divided in two pillars: (6) Knowledge Output and (7) Knowledge Diffusion.

Ranking of NE and Hill states

  1. SIKKIM
  2. HIMACHAL PRADESH
  3. UTTARAKHAND
  4. MANIPUR
  5. JAMMU & KASHMIR
  6. TRIPURA
  7. ARUNACHAL PRADESH
  8. ASSAM
  9. NAGALAND
  10. MIZORAM
  11. MEGHALAYA
 NASSCOM to train Army veterans for IT jobs
  • The Indian Army and the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) will come together in Bengaluru to orient veterans to the modern industrial needs in the IT sector in order to tap their expertise and potential by offering them jobs.
  • The initiative has been planned as several multi-national firms, which have in the past, failed to hire Army veterans, despite their keenness, because of technological and cultural differences with the corporate world.
  • The initiative has been taken jointly by the Indian Army, the NASSCOM and US-based multinational financial services firm Wells Fargo which is also being supported by the multi-national e-commerce firm Amazon India.
  • NASSCOM is looking for a single-point contact where it can get all details of Army veterans in the IT sector.
  • Army will assess industrial needs during the two-day event, NASSCOM will help Army in orienting to the modern industrial needs in the IT sector.
 Goa signs an MoU with STPI for start-up centre
  • The Goa government’s Information Technology Corporation signed an MoU with the Software Technology Park of India to set up a start-up centre in the coastal state.
  • Chief Minister Pramad Sawant said that 14,000 square metres of land would be handed over to the STPI, a society set up by the Union Ministry for Electronics and Information Technology.
  • Sawant also said, that Goa was trying to position itself as a hub for the start-ups industry and the co-operation with the STPI would help attract more start-ups to the state.

 

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 October 19, 2019

 2 persons from Assam selected for National award in Agriculture promotion
  • Mahan Chandra Borah and Dr Prabin Saikia of Assam are among those selected for the Plant Genome Saviour Award by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
  • Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar will hand over the awards, which will consist of Rs 10 lakh, a citation and a memento each.
  • Mahan Chandra Borah hails from Teok in Jorhat district, Dr Prabin Saikia is from Bhogpur Chariali in Lakhimpur.
 Anup Kumar Singh appointed as Chief of National Security Guard
  • IPS officer Anup Kumar Singh was appointed as the new Director General of the elite National Security Guard (NSG) force.
  • The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet approved the Home Ministry’s proposal to appoint the 1985-batch Gujarat cadre Indian Police Service officer to the post.
  • Singh would take charge from Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General S.S. Deswal, who is holding additional charge of the post since the superannuation of Sudeep Lakhtakia.
  • Singh will hold the post till September 30, 2020 from the date of joining or till further orders, whichever is earlier.
  • NSG is a federal contingency “zero error” force to deal with anti-terrorist activities in all its manifestations.Specially equippped and trained to deal with specific situations, it is, therefore, to be used only in exeptional circumstances to thwart serious acts of terrorism.

FACTFILE – The National Security Guard (NSG)

  • The National Security Guard (NSG) is a counter terrorism unit under the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
  • It was raised in 15th October 1984, following Operation Blue Star, Akshardham Temple attack and the assassination of Indira Gandhi, “for combating terrorist activities with a view to protect states against internal disturbances”.
  • It is not categorised under the uniform nomenclature of Central Armed Police Forces. It has a special forces mandate, and its core operational capability is provided by the Special Action Group (SAG) which is drawn from the Indian Army.
  • The Special Rangers Group (SRG), the police component of NSG, which also handles VIP security, is composed of personnel on deputation from other Central Armed Police Forces and State Police Forces.
  • The NSG personnel are often referred to in the media as Black Cats because of the black outfit and black cat insignia worn on their uniform
 NASA astronauts conduct first all-women space walk
  • NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir ventured out of the International Space Station for the first all-women spacewalk to replace a failed power controller.
  • It is the first time that all space walkers are women and the 43rd space walk to include women.
  • An all-women space walk, involving Koch and NASA astronaut Anne McClain, was originally scheduled for March. 
  • But that was scuttled because properly fitted spacesuits could not be readied in time for both astronauts.
  • The first all-women space walk is a milestone worth noting as NASA looks forward to putting the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024 with the agency`s Artemis lunar exploration programme.

October 20, 2019

 Assam Cabinet adopts new land policy
  • Assam state Cabinet adopted the new land policy, under which three bighas of agricultural land will be allotted to landless indigenous families.
  • Landless families will also be allotted half bigha plots for house construction, and the plot cannot be sold for 15 years.
  • Under the small family policy, persons having more than two children will not be eligible for government jobs with effect from January 1, 2021.
DNA Technology Regulation Bill referred to Parliamentary panel
  • The DNA Technology Regulation Bill that provides for the establishment of a national DNA data bank and regional DNA data banks and was passed by Lok Sabha has been referred to a parliamentary standing committee for examination and come back with a report.
  • The bill seeks to provide the regulation for use and application of Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) technology for the purpose of establishing the identity of certain categories of persons including victims, offenders, suspects, undertrials, missing persons and unknown deceased persons.
  • Members are informed that the Chairman, Rajya Sabha in consultation with the Speaker, Lok Sabha has referred the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019, as introduced in Lok Sabha, to the Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests for examination and report within three months.

FACTFILE – The DNA Based Technology (Use and Regulation) Bill, 2017

  • The DNA Based Technology (Use and Regulation) Bill, 2017 or the Human DNA Profiling Bill is a proposed legislation in India.
  • The bill will allow the government to establish a National DNA Data Bank and a DNA Profiling Board, and use the data for various specified forensic purposes.
  • The bill has raised concerns of privacy among citizen rights groups. The bill was expected to be presented in the parliament in the monsoon session of 2015.
  • Use of DNA Data: Under the Bill, DNA testing is allowed only in respect of matters listed in the Schedule to the Bill. These include offences under the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and for civil matters such as paternity suits. Further, the Schedule includes DNA testing for matters related to establishment of individual identity.
 Arvind Kejriwal inaugurates 100 Mohalla Clinics in Delhi
  • Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal inaugurated 100 more Mohalla Clinics in the national capital.
  • Kejriwal said that with these new health clinics, a total of 302 Mohalla Clinics are now functional in the city.
  • These clinics are part of the city government’s push to set up 1,000 neighbourhood clinics in the national capital. 
  • Kejriwal said that 100 more such clinics were ready and would become operational next month.
  • In such clinics, facilities of diagnostic tests such as lipid profile, kidney and liver function test are available free of cost.
 India, Thailand joint naval exercise
  • India and Thailand began a joint naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal that will involve air exercises with integral helicopters from ships of both nations.
  • The five-day exercise commenced off the port of Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
  • Two naval ships of Thailand – UMS Sin Phyu Shin (F-14), a frigate and UMS Tabinshweti (773), a corvette – have been deployed for the exercise.
  • India has deployed its ships INS Ranvijay, a guided-missile destroyer and INS Kuthar, a missile corvette, for the exercise.
  • The opening ceremony of the exercise was held on board INS Ranvijay at Visakhapatnam.
  • The harbor phase of the exercise will involve professional interaction for sharing of expertise on various maritime issues between both the navies.
  • The sea phase will involve a variety of drills including anti-air and surface firing exercises, flying exercises using integral helicopters and seamanship evolutions at sea.

 

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October 21, 2019

 Infrastructure projects worth Rs 2,500 crore approved in Arunachal Pradesh
  • Arunachal Pradesh’s Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, chaired by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, approved infrastructure projects worth Rs 2,500 crore.
  • Of the approved projects, Rs 1,100 crore has been earmarked for upgradation of road infrastructure in the State capital and all administrative headquarters over a period of next three years.
  • The CCI also Okayed project proposals worth Rs 75 crore for the Department of Tirap, Changlang and Longding Affairs, besides giving its seal of approval for upgradation of Police Training Center at Banderdewa, upgradation of power infrastructure, water supply projects in all newly-created districts headquarters, and comprehensive scheme for providing public amenities in all major townships.
  • The CCI has doubled the allocation for horticulture projects pertaining to Kiwi, orange, large cardamom, etc from existing Rs 30 crore to Rs 60 crore.
  • The Committee also directed for revival of all defunct cold processing units at Namasai, Pasighat and Bhalukpong.
 UN endorses India’s steps to address hunger, malnutrition
  • The UN World Food Programme (UNWFP) has endorsed India’s policy measures for addressing hunger and malnutrition to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
  • Bishow Parajuli, Representative and Country Director to India, UNWFP, told that India has all the ingredients in place to achieve SDG 2, which is to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture prior to the 2030 targets.
  • In 2015, India, along with other countries, signed the declaration on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, comprising 17 SDGs.
  • Within this agenda, ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture was set as SDG 2.
  • While India has made progress in the last couple of decades on key indicators including economic growth, poverty reduction, food grains self-sufficiency and adoption of technological solutions and though there has been a drop in the malnutrition rates, the progress however, needs to be accelerated to achieve the SDGs.
  • UNWFP has been working in partnership with the Government of India for more than 50 years to contribute to its efforts to achieve food and nutrition security.
 India seeks UN action to combat anti-microbial resistance
  • India has expressed its concern on the global emergence of anti-microbial resistance (AMR) and called upon the relevant United Nations agencies to contain this threat to public health, at G20 Health Ministers meeting.
  • Health Minister Harsh Vardhan participating in the deliberations on health risk and health security, made an intervention on AMR, seen as a serious emerging threat to global public health.
  • He called upon all relevant UN agencies to align themselves in their endeavour to combat antimicrobial resistance.
  • He conveyed to G20 countries the efforts done so far under National Programme for Health Care of Elderly to provide accessible, affordable, and high-quality long-term, comprehensive health care services to an ageing population and also mentioned public health measures to tackle dementia.
  • The deliberations of the G20 Health Ministers focused on four major global health issues, namely achievement of Universal Health Coverage, response to population aging, management of health risks and health security management including AMR and its containment.
 Vice President presents Most Eminent Senior Citizen Award
  • Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu presented Most Eminent Senior Citizen Award to legal luminary and former Attorney General K. Parasaran.
  • Mr Parasaran was honoured with the award on the occasion of the Elder’s Day celebration of Age Care India, an organization working for the welfare of the elderly. 
  • Vice President said that the Award is a fitting recognition of Mr Parasaran’s exceptional contribution to the field of law and justice as well as his extraordinary personality.
  • He said that throughout his distinguished career, Mr Parasaran had handled a wide array of cases.

BIOGRAPHY – K. Parasaran

  • Parasaran is a lawyer, who was Advocate-General of Tamil Nadu during President’s rule in 1976 and then, Attorney General of India under Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi between 1983 and 1989.
  • Parasaran was awarded the Padma Bhushan in the year 2003 and Padma Vibhushan in the year 2011.
  • In June 2012, he received a presidential nomination to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India’s parliament, for a period of six years.

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Assam Current Affairs – October 08 – 14, 2019

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Current Affairs Assam – October 8 - 14, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of October 8 – 14, 2019 )

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October 08, 2019

  IAF celebrates 87th Air Force Day
  • Indian Air Force (IAF) celebrated 87th anniversary on Air Force Day at Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat and IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria were present at the event.
  • Every year, the Air Force Day is celebrated at Hindon base in presence of the IAF chief and senior officials of the three armed forces.
  • The IAF was founded on October 8, 1932, and the force has participated in several crucial wars and landmark missions.

 FACTFILE – Indian Air Force (IAF)

  • The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks fourth amongst the air forces of the world.
  • Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflict.
  • It was officially established on 8 October 1932 as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire which honoured India’s aviation service during World War II with the prefix Royal .
  • After India gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, the name Royal Indian Air Force was kept and served in the name of Dominion of India. With the government’s transition to a Republic in 1950, the prefix Royal was removed after only three years.
 Nobel prize in physics awarded to James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz
  • 2019 Nobel Prize in physics awarded to James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz for research on cosmology and exoplanets.
  • Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm awarded half of the 9 million Swedish kronor (£740,000) prize to Canadian scientist Peebles for his theoretical discoveries about the evolution of the universe.
  • A Swiss duo of astronomers, Mayor and Queloz, have awarded the prestigious prize for their discovery of the first planet beyond our solar system. The duo has succeeded in discovering the first exoplanet 50 light years away in the constellation of Pegasus.
 William Kaelin and Gregg Semanza and Peter Ratcliffe win Nobel Prize in Medicine for work on how cells adapt to oxygen  
  • Three Americans, William G. Kaelin and Gregg. L. Semanza and Briton Peter J. Ratcliffe, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine.
  • The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute announced that the three recipients were recognized for their discoveries of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability.
  • With their work they were able to understand how oxygen levels affect cell metabolism and physiological function.
  • Their discoveries could pave the way in the development of new strategies to fight anemia, cancer and other diseases, according to the institute.
  • Kaelin, born in New York in 1957, is a specialist in internal medicine and oncology.
  • Semenza, born in 1955 and also a New Yorker, is a paediatrician.
  • Ratcliffe was born in Lancashire in 1954, and is an expert in nephrology, a medicine specialising in kidneys.

FACTFILE – The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

  • It is awarded yearly by the Nobel Foundation for outstanding discoveries in the fields of life sciences and medicine.
  • One of five prizes bequested in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, it is an award for scientific progress through laboratory discoveries in experimental physiology.
  • As of 2019, 110 Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine have been awarded to 207 men and 12 women.
  • The first one was awarded in 1901 to the German physiologist Emil von Behring, for his work on serum therapy and the development of a vaccine against diphtheria.
  • n 1902, the award went to Ronald Ross for his work on malaria while staying in India.
  • The prize consists of a medal along with a diploma and a certificate for the monetary award.
 India receives first Rafale fighter in France
  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh formally received the first of the 36 Rafale fighter jets in France, The fighter jet was handed over at Merignac at a facility of Dassault Aviation.
  • Rajnath Singh was shown a short audio-visual clip on the history of aircraft manufacturing by Dassault before the handing over ceremony.
  • His French counterpart Florence Parly was also present during the handover ceremony.
  • India chose October 8 for receiving the first Rafale jet not only because it is the occasion of Dussehra, but the day is also celebrated as Air Force Day every year.
  • The first jet bears the tail number RB 001 which is the initials of Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria, who played a key role on behalf of India in the Rafale negotiations with France.
  • India had entered into an inter-governmental agreement with France and Dassault in September 2016 to acquire 36 Rafale jets in flyaway condition at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore.
  • Rafale, a 4.5 generation multi-role combat aircraft, will greatly increase India”s geo-political stature in South Asia because no other country, including Pakistan, has as advanced an aircraft in its inventory.
  • The first squadron of the Rafale aircraft will be stationed at the Ambala Air Force Station in Punjab, considered as a strategic air base given its proximity to the Indo-Pakistan border.
  • The second Rafale squadron will be based at the Hashimara Air Force Station in Alipurduar district of West Bengal which at present is home to the ageing MiG 27 Russian aircraft.

 October 09, 2019

  India ranks 68th on Global Competitiveness Index
  • India has moved down 10 places to rank 68th on the annual global competitiveness index, while Singapore has replaced the U.S. as the world’s most competitive economy.
  • India, which was ranked 58th in the annual Global Competitiveness Index compiled by Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF), is among the worst-performing BRICS nations along with Brazil.
  • India ranks high in terms of macroeconomic stability and market size, while its financial sector is relatively deep and stable despite the high delinquency rate, which contributes to weakening the soundness of its banking system.
  • India is ranked also high at 15th place in terms of corporate governance, while it is ranked second globally for shareholder governance.
  • India also punches above its development status when it comes to innovation, which is well ahead of most emerging economies and on par with several advanced economies.
  • The healthy life expectancy, where India has been ranked 109th out of total the 141 countries surveyed for the index.
  • India needs to grow its skills base, while its product market efficiency is undermined by a lack of trade openness and the labour market is characterised by a lack of worker rights’ protections, insufficiently developed active labour market policies and critically low participation of women.
  • India is followed by some of its neighbours including Sri Lanka at 84th place, Bangladesh at 105th, Nepal at 108th and Pakistan at 110th
National Health Mission index: Haryana, Assam, Kerala among top 5 performers
  • Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Assam, Kerala and Punjab have emerged as the top five states or Union Territories in the first ever exercise to rate their performance on several parameters of the National Health Mission.
  • Twenty per cent of NHM funds are based on the states’ performance, which means better performing states received a financial incentive — Rs 3,000 crore is set aside for incentive-based payments.
  • West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Bihar were penalised as they didn’t achieve the set benchmarks for mental health services.
  • Twenty-three states earned an incentive for screening of 30-plus population for non-communicable diseases, including 11 states that earned full points for screening more than 15 per cent of the 30-plus population.
  • Tamil Nadu reported 100 per cent screening, followed by Goa (68 per cent) and Daman and Diu (57 per cent).
  • Only six states — Assam, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Kerala, Punjab and Tripura — earned full incentive for implementation of the Human Resource Information System (HRIS). Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and UP were able to partially achieve the target in terms of HRIS implementation.
  • Among the parameters, the highest weightage was given to incremental improvement as per the NITI Aayog ranking of states on ‘Performance on Health Outcomes’. Other parameters include operationalisation of Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs), provisioning of mental health services in districts covered under the National Mental Health Programme, screening of 30-plus population for non-communicable diseases, implementation of HRIS and grading of Primary Health Centres (both urban and rural).
  • Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Sikkim did not make the cut for assessment.
 Union Govt launches Ganga Aamantran Abhiyan
  • Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat yesterday launched a unique initiative called ‘Ganga Amantran’ to connect with the stakeholders of the river.
  • It is a pioneering exploratory open- water rafting and kayaking expedition on the Ganga River and will continue till 11th of next month.
  • The expedition will start at Devaprayag and culminate at Ganga Sagar covering the entire stratch of over 25,000 kilometres of the River.
  • This is the first ever effort by National Mission for Clean Ganga to raft across the entire stretch of the river.
  • And also the longest ever social campaign undertaken through an adventure sporting activityy to spread the message of River Rejuvenation and Water Conservation on a massive scale.  
 Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launches eDantseva
  • Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched a website and mobile application of ‘eDantseva’, the first-ever national digital platform on oral health information and knowledge dissemination.
  • e-DantSeva is the first-ever national digital platform that provides oral health information both in the form of a website and mobile application.
  • The initiative of the Union Health Ministry with the AIIMS and other stakeholders aims to sensitize the public about the significance of maintaining optimum oral health and equips them with the tools and knowledge to do so, including awareness on the nearest oral health service facility.
  • The Union Health Minister also released the Braille booklet and voice over on oral health education for the visually impaired individuals along with the oral health posters for pregnant women and children.
  • e-DantSeva contains information about the National Oral Health Program (NOHP), detailed list of all the dental facility and colleges, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material.

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 October 10, 2019

 Study finds poor wages, housing, healthcare in Assam TEs
  • Assam Govt initiated study report ‘Addressing The Human Cost of Assam Tea’ on the working and living conditions of plantation workers found crumbling houses with no toilets, poor wages, lack of quality health and education entitlements.
  • The new research, commissioned by Oxfam India and undertaken by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), found that the State government’s commitment to increase the minimum wages of tea plantation workers to Rs 351 met with hurdles of financial viability of the sector.
  • The research showed that the relentless squeeze by supermarkets and brands on the share of the end consumer price for tea makes poverty and hardship for workers in Assam.
  • Combined with rising costs and the impacts of the climate crisis, it is also contributing to a severe economic crisis for the entire Indian tea industry.
  • The research also found that despite working for over 13 hours a day, tea workers earn between Rs 137 and Rs 167.
  • Many women tea-leaf pluckers regularly work upto 13 hours a day receiving between Rs 110 and Rs 130 per day.
  • Tea brands and supermarkets typically capture over two-thirds of the price paid by consumers for Assam tea in India – with just 7 per cent remaining for workers in tea estates.
  • Indian tea estates are legally obliged under the Plantation Labour Act to provide decent working condition, besides housing, healthcare and education facilities.
  • The condition of housing and sanitation is very poor in majority of tea estates with dilapidated or nonexistent facilities.
  • The Indian tea sector continues to be the largest private sector employer but poor implementation of labour laws is putting at risk the viability of the tea industry as a whole.
 WHO to collaborate with govt to accelerate Ayushman Bharat
  • The Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) provides a strategic roadmap for WHO to work with the Central government towards achieving its health sector goals, in improving the health of its population and bringing in transformative changes in the health sector.
  • The WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019-2023 has identified accelerating progress of the Ayushman Bharat programme as the top strategic priority.
  • The CCS covers the period 2019-23 and it notes that significant improvements in health have been achieved in the past two decades.
  • The document notes that the government has set a series of ambitious goals in its National Health Policy 2017, including achieving universal health coverage, with a focus on poor and vulnerable populations, and doubling public spending on health.
  • The four areas identified for strategic cooperation of WHO with the country encompass: to accelerate progress on UHC, to promote health and wellness by addressing determinants of health, to protect the population better against health emergencies, and to enhance India’s global leadership in health.

FACTFILE – Ayushman Bharat Yojana or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) or National Health Protection Scheme

  • It is a national scheme that aimed at making necessary interventions in primary, secondary and tertiary health-care systems,in a holistic fashion.
  • It was launched in 2018, under the aegis of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India.
  • 26 states and union territories accepted the scheme, except four states: Delhi, Odisha, West Bengal and Telangana. More than a lakh (100,000) people have taken benefit of the scheme till October 2018.
  • More than 825,000 e-cards were generated and there was a push to recruit private hospitals to the scheme
 Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval to MoUs in radio, TV
  • The Union Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval for the memorandum of understandings (MoUs) signed between Indian and foreign broadcasters in radio and television.
  • The MoUs will help the public broadcaster explore new visions and strategies to address the demands of new technologies and competition, media liberalisation and globalisation.
  • Broadcasting of programmes to be obtained through mutual exchange, co-production will lead to equity and inclusiveness among viewers and listeners of DD (Doordarshan) and AIR (All India Radio).
  • Exchanges of technical know-how, expertise and training of manpower will help the public broadcaster meet challenges in the field of broadcasting.
 IIT Madras students develop AI-based Drones for disaster relief
  • Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras students have developed an Artificial Intelligence(AI)-based solution called ‘Eye in the Sky’ for disaster management and aid services, utilizing drones with swarm intelligence for collecting data and analyzing it in real-time.
  • A team of engineering students is building drones enabled with AI and computer vision to develop an end-to-end solution for identifying accurate and critical information on people trapped in disaster-hit areas and communicate them to relief task force.
  • Its analytical modules are based on the latest available technology with the team creating their own databases for some of the modules.
  • The team plans to collaborate with hardware companies that can provide scalable drone technology to conduct the required spot surveillance of disaster struck areas.
  • According to the students, the final aim of the startup is to make end-to-end drone software solutions which can be used by any disaster response force of the world and thus help in saving lives.
  • The project uses some innovative technologies that can help in among other things accurate detecting of people from high and low altitudes, detecting whether a person is able to move or not, detection of people buried under the debris where only a part of the body is visible to the outside world.
 India, Thailand seek to enhance physical & digital connectivity
  • India and Thailand discussed ways to enhance physical and digital connectivity between them as well as identifying areas for cooperation in fields such as agriculture, science and technology, and information technology.
  • The issues were discussed in the 8th Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai.
  • The Ministers had a restricted bilateral meeting, which was followed by delegation-level talks.
  • Both sides reviewed the progress made in all areas of bilateral relationship, including political, defence and security, economic and commercial, connectivity, cultural, tourism and people-to-people ties.
  • Both sides noted that bilateral trade has grown by 20 per cent last year and the investment is also growing.
  • Both sides decided to hold the next meeting of Joint Trade Committee to discuss ways and means to enhance trade and investment.
  • They also exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest, including cooperation in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Indian-Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), UN and other sub-regional and international organizations.
  • Both Ministers also witnessed the signing of MOU between the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) of India”s Ministry of External Affairs and Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs of Thailand”s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 October 11, 2019

 Audiovisual archive for NE region comes up in Shillong
  • An archive aimed at preserving the rich audiovisual productions of the Northeastern region has been inaugurated at St Anthony’s College in Shillong.
  • Documentary films, newsreels, interviews, amateur footage, sound recordings and photographs related to the states of the region are available in analogue and digital formats in the archive located at the St Anthony’s College.
  • The Northeast India Audiovisual Archive can also be accessed online at www.nearchive.in.
  • Supported by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) of Japan, the archive will also be working in collaboration with Japan’s Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival for their expertise. The SPF carries out a range of programmes aimed at promoting international understanding, exchanges and cooperation.
 Union HRD Ministry launches Dhruv platform to promote talents in childrens
  • The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry launched the Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme called ”Dhruv”, a platform to help meritorious students achieve excellence in science, performing arts and creative writing.
  • The programme has been launched to identify and encourage talented children to enrich their skills and knowledge.
  • HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said the programme included students of performing arts, since it had the power to move ideas and people.
  • In the first batch, 60 outstanding students have been selected. To begin with, it will cover science and performing arts. The students have been broadly chosen from classes IX to XII. At the 14-day programme science and performing arts students will be separated into two groups.
  • The programme was launched at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters in Bengaluru.
 Kolkata’s e-plan bags global award at C40 meet
  • The low carbon commute transition of Kolkata with planned introduction of 5,000 e-buses and electrification of all ferries that run across the Ganges river by 2030 won the world”s seven best climate projects.
  • The announcement of the 2019 C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards was made at the C40 World Mayors Summit.
  • The awards showcased projects that demonstrated ambitious climate action while ensuring better, longer lives for the greatest number of people.
  • Each of the seven winning cities are formidable examples of what leadership looks like in building an innovative, resilient, and inclusive future.
  • Worldwide, cities account for about 70 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions, making them uniquely positioned to have a significant impact in the fight against climate change.
  • Finalists for the 2019 C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards were selected from projects featured in Cities100, which showcases 100 of this year”s most forward-thinking and inclusive climate action projects from around the world.
  • Cities100 is a collaboration between C40 and Nordic Sustainability and is funded by the Danish philanthropic association Realdania.
 Andhra Pradesh launches free mass eye screening programme
  • The Andhra Pradesh government launched a free mass eye screening programme with an aim to eradicate blindness.
  • Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the programme ”Dr YSR Kanti Velugu” at Anantapur on the occasion of ”World Sight Day”.
  • As a part of health reforms the government decided to implement the programme to provide cashless comprehensive primary, secondary and tertiary quality eye care services to the state”s entire population.
  • The programme, to be implemented in six phases over the next three years, is estimated to cost about Rs 560.88 crore including free eye screening, spectacles, strengthening of government institutions, hiring of temporary staff, cataract surgeries and other secondary and tertiary eye care management.
  • The first phase will continue till October 16, over 70 lakh students will receive primary basic screening by Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), teachers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) and other staff members.
  • The two-months-long second phase will be launched on November 1. In this phase, secondary screening and prescription of spectacles will be provided to the students.
  • From the third to sixth phase, the state government will provide primary mass eye screening, prescription and distribution of spectacles, secondary and tertiary care management.
  • The Program will be conducted through village volunteers, ASHA, ANM, Primary Health Centre staff, Para Medical Ophthalmic Officers (PMOOs), all government institutions, Vision Centres, NGOs and all other healthcare functionaries.
 AASHRAY’s best eco-friendly Puja pandal award to Bishnupur Guwahati puja
  • Bishnupur Bimalanagar Durga Puja Samiti of Guwahati with a theme of Eco-system was adjudged as the best eco-friendly Durga Puja pandal in Assam by AASHRAY an organisation working for environment conservation.
  • The Subhash Pally Kalibari Durga Puja Samiti Dibrugarh with the theme Education was declared as the second.
  • While Dergaon Rajahuwa Durga Puja Samiti with the theme of forest conservation and traditional dhak and Barowary Durga Puja Samiti with the theme Assamese Culture were declared jointly third.
  • The Sripuria Purbanchal Durga Puja Samiti with the theme rhino conservation was named for the fourth position.
  • To make awareness on cutting down the use of plastic in Durga Puja pandals and to ensure cleanliness during the puja celebration, the best puja pandal award was announced at the state level.

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October 12, 2019

 Environmentalist Chandi Prasad gets Indira Gandhi award
  • The Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for this year has been awarded to eminent environmentalist, Chandi Prasad Bhatt.
  • The award carries a citiation and cash of Rs 10 lakh will be given to Bhatt by Congress President Sonia Gandhi on October 31, the martyrdom day of Indira Gandhi .
  • Bhatt, who hails from Uttarakhand, is an eminent Gandhian environmentalist and has been associated with the Chipko Andolan
  • Bhatt has been the recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Padmi Shri, Padma Bhushan and Gandhi Peace Prize in the past.
  • The award was announced by Motilal Vora, Member Secretary to the Advisory Committee for the award.

BIOGRAPHY – Chandi Prasad Bhatt

  • Chandi Prasad Bhatt is an Indian Gandhian environmentalist and social activist, who founded Dasholi Gram Swarajya Sangh (DGSS) in Gopeshwar in 1964, which later became a mother-organization to the Chipko Movement, in which he was one of the pioneers.
  • He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1982, followed by the Padma Bhushan in 2005.
  • He is known for his work on subaltern social ecology, and considered one of India’s first modern environmentalists.
Asian Development Bank approved the first installment of Rs 1,650 crore for Tripura
  • The first instalment of Asian Development Bank”s (ADB) Rs 1,650 crore loan for infrastructure development in seven of the eight district headquarter towns in Tripura, has been approved.
  • The Department of Economic Affairs, under the Finance Ministry of the Indian government has approved the first instalment of Rs 17.75 crore ($2.5 million) of the ADB loan to take up development of seven district headquarters through Urban Development Department of the state government.
  • The first instalment of Rs 17.75 crore would be spent mainly for conducting engineering survey, preparing estimates and DPRs (Detailed Project Reports) for roads, water supply, drainage, sewerage and major urban infrastructure works in these seven district towns.
 Union Ministry of Health launches ‘Mission 2023’
  • The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the ”World Health Organization (WHO) India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019-2023: A Time of Transition programme in New Delhi.
  • The Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) aims to provide WHO with a strategic roadmap to plan its work with India to achieve its health sector goals.
  • Four areas have been identified for strategic cooperation with WHO.
  • The objective of the programme is to protect people”s health, promote healthy lifestyle and strengthen India”s global leadership in the health sector
  • The government has also launched several initiatives to support the same including the Fit India movement, Poshan Abhiyaan and the Eat Right India movement

October 13, 2019

 ‘Lachit-I’ the first sailing expedition on Brahmaputra to start
  • NCC Directorate of North Eastern Region has embarked on a pioneering project to conduct the first-ever sailing expedition on the Brahmaputra to commemorate the Battle of Saraighat.
  • The ‘Lachit-I’ 10-day expedition will be flagged off from Biswanath Chariali on October 16 and after traversing 220 km, it will culminate at Pandu on October 25.
  • ADG NCC Maj Gen Bipin Bakshi said the waters of the mighty Brahmaputra have been selected for this ambitious initiative, using the expertise available with the military personnel of NCC, three sturdy whaler sailing boats of the Naval NCC Units and support from the Army Eastern Command as well as the Assam government.
  • The focus of this expedition on the same waters where the famous Battle of Saraighat was fought in 1671, is to rekindle the memories of the epic bravery of the sons of the soil of Assam, while fostering a spirit of adventure amongst the youth.
 Assam CM opens Kaziranga park for tourists
  • Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal opened the Kaziranga National Park for the visitors for this season.
  • Sonowal ceremoniously put the Bagori and Kohora Range of the park open for the tourists at functions held at Bagori and Mihimukh.
  • Sonowal said that it is a matter of great pride and prestige that Kazirnaga National Park has earned its name in the 17 most iconic centres of the country.
  • Sonowal also called upon every stakeholder to make a united effort for the serenity and beauty of the park.
  • Emphasising on the cleanliness of Kaziranga National Park, Sonowal said that all households, restaurants, hotels, resorts must keep their peripheral areas clean to make Kaziranga more beautiful and serene.
 Lieutenant General Harsha Gupta named new Commander of White Knight Corps
  • Lieutenant General Harsha Gupta has been appointed as the new Commander of the White Knight Corps, the XVI Corps of the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir.
  • He took over from Lieutenant General Paramjit Singh Sangha, who relinquished the post with a traditional wreath-laying ceremony at the Nagrota Military Station
  • Lt Gen Gupta, who belongs to the Sikh Light Infantry, asked officers and troops to remain combat ready on order to thwart the enemy”s designs by maintaining synergy between the Army, the civil administration and the para-military forces.
  • Lt Gen Sangha conveyed his appreciation to all ranks for their professionalism and steadfast dedication to duty.

FACTFILE  – The White Knight Corps

  • The White Knight Corps, a part of the Northern Command of the Indian Army, was raised in June 1972
  • It has its headquarters at Nagrota Cantonment, Nagrota, Jammu district, Jammu and Kashmir.
  • In 2005 IX Corps (India) was raised in part of the XVI Corps’ area, taking over two of its divisions. It includes 10th Infantry Division (India), headquartered at Akhnoor, 25th Infantry Division, headquartered at Rajauri and 39th Infantry Division, with its headquarters at Yol.
  • It is the largest wheeled formation in the world.

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October 14, 2019

 Khasi film ‘Iewduh‘ wins award at Busan film fest in South Korea
  • Iewduh, a Khasi film directed by Pradip Kurbah and produced by Shankar Lall Goenka, has won the Kim Ji-seok Award at the 24th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in South Korea.
  • Iewduh was the first film from Meghalaya to enter the BIFF, which is an important destination for Asian filmmakers.
  • Iewduh director Pradip Kurbah dedicated the Kim Ji-seok Award to the people of Meghalaya and thanked Goenka for producing the film.
  • Iewduh, also known as Barabazar, is one of the oldest and largest daily markets in Shillong. The film talks about the daily lives of the people in the market.
  • The film, made under the banner of Shiven Arts, will premiere in India at the 21st Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival later this month.
  • Iewduh has also been selected for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa.
 IIT Madras inks pact with ExxonMobil for research on energy and biofuels
  • The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT M) has signed an agreement with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company for conducting collaborative research on energy and biofuels.
  • The five-year agreement is focused on data analytics, gas conversion and transport and is aimed towards finding low-emission solutions. 
  • One of the projects being taken up is for developing novel approaches to convert agro residue biomass to sugars and high value chemicals.
  • The current trend is to develop fuels and fine chemicals from non-food lignocellulosic biomass and agricultural residues, known as second-generation biomass.
  • Lignocellulosic biomass is the only source of renewable carbon with the ability to maintain carbon neutrality in the environment by reducing the net greenhouse gas emissions.
  • India is the third highest producer of agro-residues globally with surplus potential of over 230 million tonnes annually, after China and Brazil.
  • The biofuel potential is expected to get realised in the near future with the new biofuel policy of the government.
 Indian origin Abhijit Banerjee and his wife Esther Duflo wins Nobel Prize in Economics
  • Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Michael Kremer of Harvard University were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.”
  • In just two decades, their new experiment-based approach has transformed development economics, which is now a flourishing field of research.
  • Banerjee, born 1961 in India, got his PhD in 1988 from Harvard University. Duflo, who was born in 1972 in Paris, obtained her Ph.D in 1999 from MIT. Kremer, who was born in 1964, got his doctorate from Harvard in 1992.
  • The three were recognized for their ability to divide the vast issue of tackling global poverty into smaller subjects.

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Assam Current Affairs – October 01 – 07, 2019

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Current Affairs Assam – October 1 - 7, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of October 1 – 7, 2019 )

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October 01, 2019

  Seaplanes set to be introduced in Assam
  • The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will introduce water aerodrome or seaplanes in three locations in Assam for the first time, which will boost tourism and connectivity in the state.
  • Three river fronts were selected in Assam to introduce the water-based ferry for the first time in India.
  • The three locations selected for the seaplanes include Guwahati, Umrangso and the Kaziranga National Park.
  • At the end of next year or by early 2021, the water aerodrome or seaplane services would be launched in the Brahmaputra river and Umrangso reservoir.
  • Three jetties would be built in three locations at a cost of Rs 50 crore.
  • An area of open water that can be used by seaplanes or amphibious planes for landing and take-off is called a water aerodrome.
  • The water aerodrome or seaplane services were planned to be introduced under the UDAN scheme, announced by the Central government earlier.
  • The Union government had earlier planned to launch water aerodrome or seaplane services in six or seven sites. These are Guwahati river front, Umrangso reservoir and Kaziranga National Park in Assam, Nagarjuna Sagar in Andhra Pradesh-Telangana, Sabarmati river front, Shatrunjay Dam and Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat).
  • SpiceJet on a trial basis had conducted seaplane operations in Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
 Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria takes over as IAF chief
  • Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria, took over as the new air chief with an assertion that India is ready for any kind of threat. Bhadauria, succeeds Birender Singh Dhanoa.
  • The 26th Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has over 4,250 hours of flying experience with 26 different fighter and transport aircraft. He was also extensively involved in the flights of the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas” initial prototypes. Bhadauria was the key negotiator in the deal for 36 Rafale fighters which India is acquiring from Dassault company of France.
  • Bhadauria said the induction of the Rafale fighter would be a game-changer for India as it would give a big boost to the IAF”s capability.

BIOGRAPHY – Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria

  • Bhadauria served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), Southern Air Command from 1 March 2017, succeeding Air Marshal Sunderraman Neelakantan, to 1 August 2018.
  • He also served as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), Training Command from 1 August 2018 after retirement of Air Marshal S R K Nair, and held the office till his elevation to the Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
  • He took office of Vice Chief of the Air Staff on 1 May 2019 after superannuation of Air Marshal Anil Khosla.
  • Bhadauria has been awarded several medals: the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (January 2013), the Vayu Sena Medal (January 2002) and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (January 2018).
  • He was appointed as the honorary air force ADC to the President of India on 1 January 2019
 India successfully test-fired the BrahMos missile
  • India successfully test-fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the coast of Odisha along the Bay of Bengal.
  • The missile was launched from the Interim Test Range in Chandipur.
  • Featuring an Indian propulsion system, airframe, power supply and other major indigenous components, the missile was successfully test-fired for its full range of 290 km during the launch that was jointly conducted by the DRDO and BrahMos Aerospace.
  • The indigenous content in the formidable weapon has reached a high value with the successful mission thus bolstering India”s defence indigenization and the flagship ”Make in India” programme of the Central government.
  • The BrahMos, which derives its name from the rivers Brahmaputra of India and Moskva of Russia, has been jointly developed by India and Russia.
  • The versatile weapon has been operationalized in the Indian armed forces with all three services.
 Cisco MOU with Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to launch e-learning solutions at NSTIs
  • Cisco signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Directorate General of Training (DGT) of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, to bring the benefits of digital technology to six National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs).
  • Under the initiative, NSTIs in Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Noida and Kanpur will be equipped with Cisco connected classroom solution.
  • Which uses Cisco”s collaboration solutions, like Cisco TelePresence and Cisco Webex, to offer next-generation digital learning experience to students and faculty.
  • The platform is aimed at providing NSTIs with access to new learning experiences, like virtual field trips and specialised skill modules, guest lecturers, as well as industry-connect and mentorship programmes irrespective of location.
  • Interested trainers and trainees across all ITIs will also have access to new educational resources through the Bharat Skills portal, using their smartphones and other connected devices, enabling them to learn anywhere, anytime and on any device.
 Naval version of India’s LCA-Tejas has successfully completed
  • The naval version of India”s indigenously-built Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas has successfully completed in a single sortie the cycle of short take-off and arrested recovery, necessary for operating on an aircraft carrier.
  • The sortie was undertaken at a shore-based test facility of INS Hansa in Goa.
  • A prototype of the LCA”s naval version took off a ski jump from the shore-based location and was subsequently trapped on an arresting gear site.
  • This was the first occasion when the complete cycle of short launch and arrested recovery necessary for aircraft carrier operations was accomplished in a single sortie.
  • The experiment was conducted to test the capability of the aircraft, which is under development by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), to take off and land on shorter runways on an aircraft carrier.

October 02, 2019

  Sushil Mishra takes charge as CMD of Oil India Limited
  • Sushil Chandra Mishra assumed the charge of Chairman and Managing Director of Oil India Limited. He has over 35 years of experience in Oil India Limited (OIL).
  • He also holds a unique distinction of achieving OIL’s first ever overseas discovery as operator in Gabon, setting a foundation for OIL to carry out extensive exploration and production activities at global landscape for its growth.
  • Prior to taking over the charge as the CMD, he held the position of Executive Director (Rajasthan project), Jodhpur and was responsible for successfully implementing India’s first and deepest cycle system.

FACTFILE – Oil India Limited (OIL)

  • Oil India Limited (OIL) is the second largest hydrocarbon exploration and production Indian public sector company with its operational headquarters in Duliajan, Assam, India.
  • The company is a state-owned Navratna under the administrative control of India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas with its corporate offices in Noida in the New Delhi-NCR region.
  • OIL is engaged in the business of exploration, development and production of crude oil and natural gas, transportation of crude oil and production of liquid petroleum gas.
  • It’s history spans the discovery of crude oil in the far east of India at Digboi, Assam in 1889 to become a upstream petroleum company is present.
 Indian Army to help strengthen Maldivian security forces
  • Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat handed over some transport vehicles to the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF) as part of India”s efforts to boost the operational capacities of the island nation.
  • Talks are underway to hand over different types of weapons and ammunition to the Maldives army.
  • Assistance will also be given to Maldives to set up an engineering workshop and a diagnostic set-up for the vehicles and other equipment that have been given.
  • Rawat, who is on a five-day visit to the country has met Maldives Defence Minister Mariya Ahmed Didi, MNDF Chief Major General Abdulla Shamaal and MNDF Vice Chief Brigadier General Abdul Raheem Abdulla.
  • Discussions during the meeting revolved around the assistance that India”s military could provide in order to boost the training and operational capabilities of the archipelago nation.
 TN govt partners with Facebook to boost blood donations in state
  • The Tamil Nadu government announced that it has directed all blood banks in the state to use the blood donation feature on Facebook to reach out to the voluntary donors.
  • The government feels social media can help to create awareness and enable voluntary blood donations.
  • The state government has issued a directive to all blood banks and hospitals in the state to use the Facebook blood donation feature, in order to bridge the gap between blood donors and nearby blood banks.
  • All banks have gone through comprehensive training workshops to join on board the Facebook blood donation feature and have also learnt how they can connect with donors on this social media site, based on their needs.
  • Over 22 million people in India have registered as blood donors on Facebook.
  • Launched in 2017, blood donation feature on Facebook connects people willing to donate blood with opportunities nearby.
  • People can sign up as donors on this social media platform and get notified when blood banks nearby post about their blood requirements.

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October 03, 2019

  IIT Guwahati implements PM’s scholarship scheme for J&K students
  • The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G) along with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has begun implementing the Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme for Jammu and Kashmir Students.
  • IIT Guwahati signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AICTE for extending internships to students from Jammu and Kashmir.
  • The objective of the MoU is to provide exposure to the youth from Jammu and Kashmir to advanced academic culture at the higher learning institutes of the country.
  • As per the MoU signed, IIT-G will enrol 100 meritorious students from Jammu and Kashmir in batches of 25, for internship at the institute from May 1 to 30, 2020.
  • The MoU includes academic, education and research collaboration where IIT Guwahati will design a detailed programme with popular science lectures from its faculty as well as guest faculty from outside the institute.
  • The internships will be primarily in the field of research and will be done under various professors at the institute.
 Odisha launches Mo Sarkar initiative
  • Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the ”Mo Sarkar” initiative on the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
  • Under the programme, the Chief Minister and Ministers will call the people to seek their feedback on the kind of response and service they received during their visit to the government hospitals and police stations.
  • The Chief Minister made phone calls and spoke to people from Balangir, Sundergarh, Malkangiri, Jajpur and Baripada to seek feedback on their experiences at government hospitals.
  • He also spoke to people from Nayagah, Ganjam, Balasore and Bhawanipatna regarding the service offered at police stations.
  • In the first phase, the programme would cover all police stations and district headquarters hospitals (DHHs).
  • Under the programme, when a complainant visits a police station for filing a complaint, his or her mobile number will be uploaded by the police personnel onto the centralised database.
  • The ”Mo Sarkar” initiative is an important transformative move under the 5T programme introduced by Patnaik. The 5Ts aim at achieving progress through Transparency, Teamwork, Technology, Time and Transformation.
 India sets up integrated control room to handle natural calamities
  • The government is setting up an integrated control room for emergency response especially to handle natural disasters and to carry out a strategic level of monitoring.
  • The Ministry of Home Affairs proposes to establish an integrated Control Room for Emergency Response in the national capital for handling natural disasters and emergency situations with situational awareness and strategic level of monitoring.
  • The comprehensive backend and control room infrastructure will be primarily located at New Delhi City Centre-II towers at Jai Singh Marg in New Delhi with an additional room infrastructure in North Block, which will serve as a front office to the control room.
  • is also planned to augment existing National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM), a GIS-based repository of data, at Shadnagar in Hyderabad and integrate it with control room.
  • NDEM supports the total cycle of disaster, emergency management for the country, in near real time with a complete database.
  • The control room will be based on state-of-the-art information technology and will be equipped with latest video walls.
 Indian Army Chief, Maldivian President discuss defence ties
  • Indian Army Chief, General Bipin Rawat met Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who hailed efforts to revitalise the bilateral defence cooperation.
  • Gen Rawat is on a five-day official visit to Maldives which is aimed at giving a boost to the bilateral defence ties at a time when China is making aggressive moves to make inroads in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation.
  • The Indian Army Chief discussed with the Maldivian President issues related to the defence cooperation and ways to step it up.
  • The Maldivian President commended the joint efforts of both Armed Forces at enhancing and revitalising the bilateral defence cooperation.
  • Rawat had met Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid to discuss mutual relations between the two countries and on working out ways to make the Indian Ocean Region a conflict-free zone.
  • He also handed over a fleet of transport vehicles to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) in order to help it increase its operational capability.

October 04, 2019

  Silchar ranked 8th in list of 10 most unclean cities in India
  • Silchar received a embarrassing distinction of being ranked at 8th position in the list of ten most unclean cities across the country.
  • Despite atmospheric and territorial challenges, the workers at the SLRM centre have been able to convert a substantial quantity of waste into saleable resource in just 79 days of its journey.
  • Project Coordinator C Srinivasan informed that assignment at the SLRM centre is for a period of 18 months only while his team has only 15 more months left to accomplish the target.
  • Deputy Commissioner Laya Madduri expressed the possibilities of turning Silchar free of trash and urged all the stakeholders to pitch in efforts to make it worth a resource-oriented destination for sustainable development in the coming days.

 Assam in Swachh Survekshan 2019 Ranking

  • Rank #303 Guwahati
  • Rank #370 Nagaon
  • Rank #415 Dibrugarh
  • Rank #423 Silchar
 ISRO showcase Space Science in 7 Karnataka colleges
  • To mark the ‘World Space Week’ of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said it would showcase the benefits of space science to students of seven colleges in Karnataka from October 4 to 10.
  • The U.R. Rao Satellite Centre has teamed up with seven colleges to tell students the benefits of our space programme to attract them to science & technology stream.
  • The seven institutions are: Poornaprajan Pre-university College at Udupi; SJM Institute of Technology, Chitradurga; Konkan Education Trust High School, Kumta; R.V. College of Engineering, Bengaluru; Tontadarya College of Education, Gadag; Sri Sai Vidyaniketan Residential School, Shahpur; and Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur.
  • Competitions for students, exhibition models of satellites, posters, videos and talks about the Indian space programme were part of the agenda.
  • The satellite centre designs, develops and makes satellites for the space programme to serve key sectors and spur national development.
  • The UN observes the space week every year from October 4 to 10, coinciding with the launch of the first man-made earth satellite — Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957 — and the signing of the Outer Space Treaty on October 10, 1967.
 Indian Oil launches drive to turn plastic waste into bitumen
  • Indian Oil Corporation has taken up various initiatives to support the government”s drive to eliminate single use plastic by converting these toxic wastes to productive use.
  • These initiatives were launched to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatama Gandhi and as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
  • The company will use its refinery operations to convert the single use plastic waste into specialised bitumen that can be used for construction of roads and highways.
  • A pilot project has been done at Faridabad via the creation of a “Single Use Waste Plastic” based bituminous road.
  • The company will commercially supply the specialised bitumen for use in road construction going ahead.
  • Has developed special grade crumb rubber modified bitumen (CRMB55) which has been designed using waste single use plastic material.
  • The company issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) for procurement of single-use plastic waste which can be economically converted into the specialised bitumen.
  • The national EoI is for assessing the market availability and willingness of various organised aggregators and NGOs to supply different types of waste plastics in commercial quantities on consistent basis.
 New French, EU envoys present credentials to Indian President
  • New French ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain and the European Union Ambassador Ugo Astuto presented their credentials to President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
  • Lenain underscored the historic ties of friendship and trust between the two nations and said the two sides are united by a strategic partnership since 1998, which recently expanded to include digital technology and cybersecurity.
  • Lenain also highlighted France’s determination to deepen the two countries’ strategic cooperation, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.
  • He shared France’s desire to forge a partnership for the future with India by supporting the major programmes shaping tomorrow’s India.
  • Astuto said the European Union and India upgraded their long-standing relationship to a strategic partnership in 2004, based on their common goals and principles.
  • Since then, the EU and India have been cooperating closely, reinforcing political, economic and people-to-people ties.
  • This cooperation was further broadened at the last summit in 2017 and has received new momentum through the adoption of the EU’s strategy on India, in November 2018.
  • The EU and India enjoy strong trade and investment relations and are members of the G20, where they co-operate in shaping the global economic agenda, supporting sustainable development and the multilateral international trade system.
  • The EU is also collaborating with India on several flagship initiatives such as Smart Cities, Clean Ganga, as well as in the context of the International Solar Alliance.
 Flipkart and UP Khadi & Village Industries Board ink pact
  • Flipkart has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Uttar Pradesh Khadi & Village Industries Board (UPKVIB) as part of the Flipkart ‘Samarth’ initiative.
  • This initiative is aimed at enabling artisans, weavers and craftsmen from diverse backgrounds and rural parts of the country to set up their business on Flipkart.
  • The MoU was signed in the presence of Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
  • As part of the Samarth programme, eligible entities and artisans will receive incubation support in the form of onboarding, cataloguing, account management, business insights, dedicated seller support, reduced commission (where eligible) and warehousing.
  • The Uttar Pradesh government is supporting the initiative by fast-tracking collaboration between Flipkart and UPKVIB registered affiliates that work in the arts, handicrafts and textile space.
  • UPKVIB and Flipkart will work together to help weavers and artisans sell Khadi fabrics and village industries products across Flipkart’s pan-India customer base of over 160 million.

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October 05, 2019

  IIT Guwahati-AICTE pact to benefit J-K students
  • Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for implementing the Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme for students from Jammu and Kashmir.
  • The objective of the MoU is to provide exposure to the youths from Jammu and Kashmir to advanced academic culture at the higher learning institutes of the country.
  • The exchange of agreements was held at the IIT Council meeting recently between Prof TG Sitharam, Director of IIT Guwahati, and Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe, Chairman of AICTE, in the presence of Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.
  • As per the pact, IIT Guwahati will enroll 100 meritorious students from Jammu and Kashmir in batches of 25, for internship at the institute from May 1 to 30 next year.
  • The MoU includes academic, education and research collaboration where IIT Guwahati will design a detailed programme with popular science lectures from its distinguished faculty as well as guest faculty from outside the institute.
 NHA, Google tie up for Ayushman Bharat implementation
  • The National Health Authority (NHA) has joined hands with Google to collaborate and strengthen the implementation of the government”s flagship health scheme, Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY).
  • The two organizations will be working closely to explore various user cases for increasing process efficiencies in day-to-day applications.
  • Google will also support NHA in improving PM-JAY”s digital presence and showcasing relevant content to the 50 crore entitled beneficiaries.
  • Google will also help provide training and support to NHA personnel to build on digital skills.
  • The collaboration will seek to bolster PM-JAY”s objective of reaching the poor and vulnerable, reducing their high out-of-pocket health expenditure, and improving access to quality healthcare.
  • The NHA is implementing the programme, hailed as the world”s largest public funded health insurance scheme aimed to bring quality healthcare to around 50 crore poor and vulnerable Indians across India.
  • The mission of NHA is to create the world”s best health assurance programme on an efficient and technologically robust eco-system.
 WHO, FIFA sign deal to promote healthy lifestyle through soccer
  • The World Health Organization and FIFA signed a four-year cooperation deal that aims to encourage people to follow a healthy lifestyle through soccer.
  • WHO, in return, will provide FIFA with a series of technical health advice aimed at improving hygiene and preventing diseases.
  • Measures include banning smoking at stadiums or during events organized by the soccer international governing body.
  • Both parties have already collaborated in order to ban smoking at soccer competitions, as happened at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
  • The deal also includes initiatives that boost physical activities through soccer with the backing of national soccer federations, goodwill ambassadors, soccer players, coaches and volunteers.

October 06, 2019

 ‘Brahmaputra Dialogue’ discussion on promotion of startups in NE, South East Asia
  • The 2nd edition of the Brahmaputra Dialogue, an initiative to provide a platform for thought leaders across all sectors to discuss, deliberate and arrive at outcome-based solutions regarding key issues concerning India’s North-east and the greater South East Asia region held at Guwahati.
  • The topic of the event was ‘Accelerating the Startup Ecosystem in North East India and the Future of Business and Trade in the South East Asian region’ where Arjun Vaidya, Aryata Agarwal, Shyamkanu Mahanta, Pranjal Konwar and Sriparna Baruah took part as the panelists.
  • More than 60 young leaders and entrepreneurs from diverse professional backgrounds attended the session.
  • Discussions were also held about the challenges and opportunities of doing business in the region, and key steps to promote North-east as a startup hub in India.
 India, Bangladesh sign 7 pacts
  • India and Bangladesh marked the “sonali adhyay” (golden era) in bilateral ties with the inking of seven agreements, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with visiting Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina.
  • During the talks, the Bangladesh PM voiced concerns over Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC) and raised the Teesta water and the Rohingya refugee issues.
  • The two sides hailed the bilateral ties. The agreements, included pact for a joint coastal surveillance system.
  • Through video link, the two leaders inaugurated three development partnership projects
  • 1. Import of bulk LPG from Bangladesh to Tripura through trucks
  • 2. Vivekananda Bhaban (student’s hostel) at Ramakrishna Mission, Dhaka
  • 3. Bangladesh-India Professional Skill Development Institute (BIPSDI) at the Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB), Khulna.
  • The two leaders emphasised on initiatives for development of closer maritime security partnership, and noted the progress made in the finalisation of an MoU for establishment of a coastal surveillance radar system in Bangladesh.
  • Both sides agreed to expedite commissioning of a joint study on prospects of signing a bilateral comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA).
  • Modi and Sheikh Hasina also agreed to expedite work towards drawing upon a $500 million defence line of credit, extended by India to Bangladesh. The implementation arrangements for this was finalised in April.
  • They also signed an MoU on withdrawal of 1.82 cusec of water from the Feni river by India for the drinking water scheme for Sabroom town in Tripura.
  • The two leaders agreed that the loss of civilian lives at the border was a matter of concern and asked border forces to enhance coordinated measures to bring such border incidents down to zero.
 School kids plant 350 trees near Mumbai station
  • As part of the ongoing ”Joy of Giving Week” organised by the Western Railway (WR), around 150 students of the Ryan Group of Institutions (RGI) planted more than 350 Ashoka tree saplings near the Jogeshwari station.
  • The children were accompanied by a favourite cartoon character, Nicktoon ”Dora the Explorer” and child actor Abhishek Sharma in the event organised by the WR, Nickelodeon and RGI to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
  • During the week, there will be more activities for the children focusing on awareness and conservation of the environment, educating them on the consequences of carbon footprints and related aspects.
  • Pioneering children-related empowerment themes, Nickelodeon has also organized campaigns like ”Surakshabandhan”, International Day of Yoga and Road Safety Week.

 

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October 07, 2019

  IIT Guwahati develops AI powered Smart-Engineer
  • The Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) announced the development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted engineering system design tool called the ‘Smart-Engineer’.
  • The current version of the Smart-Engineer is able to address the fundamentals involved in the design of induction motors.
  • The early results are very promising, and we now intend to expand the capability of Smart-Engineer to include the finer aspects of motor design.
  • The tool is built by a team comprising PhD and Masters students, Rajendra Kumar, Bikash Sah, Ankit Vishway and Rajendra Kumar, by leveraging the IBM Watson AI Platform and IBM Cloud.
  • The ‘Smart-Engineer’, built by the e-mobility lab at the IIT-G seeks to address one of the primary hurdles in indigenising the EV technology, which is the lack of trained human resources in engineering design and system integration.
  • It will enable companies to store and maintain the collective knowledge of expert engineers, which in turn can preserve and promote further theoretical and practical advancements in design thinking/philosophy.
 Indian women in UAE launch mission to protect environment
  • The Indian Ladies Association (ILA), a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based community welfare body, has launched a year-long mission to protect the environment through a series of initiatives, including collection of discarded paper, e-waste, cleaning of beaches and tree planting in Abu Dhabi.
  • The ILA has committed to run sustainable environmentally friendly and social awareness campaigns in the community each month and this would continue throughout the year to educate people about the environment and seek their participation in making the world a greener place.
  • The ILA just provides a platform to the community to come forward and participate in the environmentally friendly campaigns.
  • The ILA is one of the five Indian community organisations in Abu Dhabi which are registered with the UAE’s Ministry of Community Development.
  • It was also planning to spread environmental awareness among labourers. As part of the mission, the ILA will visit labour camps to give saplings to workers to plant.

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Assam Current Affairs – September 01 – 07, 2019

Posted on by admin 
Current Affairs Assam – September 1 - 7, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of September 1 – 7, 2019 )

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September 01, 2019

  Final NRC published, 19 lakh excluded
  • The final National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published on Saturday excluding names of 19,06,657 persons who had applied for inclusion of names in the citizenship document.
  • Any person not satisfied with the outcome of the verdicts on claims and objections would be able to approach the foreigners tribunals.
  • The process of NRC update in Assam differs from the rest of the country and is governed by Rule 4A and the corresponding Schedule of the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. These rules have been framed as per the cut-off date of March 24 (midnight), 1971 decided as per the Assam Accord.
  • A total of 3,30,27,661 members applied through 68,37,660 applications. The particulars submitted by the applicants were taken up for scrutiny to determine.
  • The NRC update is a mammoth exercise involving around 52,000 State government officials working for a prolonged period. The entire process of NRC update has been meticulously carried out in an objective and transparent manner, the release said, adding, adequate opportunity of being heard has been given to all persons at every stage of the process.
 Ministry of Electronics and IT partners with Google to roll out “Build for Digital India”
  • The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) entered into a partnership with Google with the aim of rolling out “Build for Digital India”
  • A programme that will give engineering students a platform to develop market-ready, technology-based solutions that address key social problems.
  • The programme will invite ideas from students to focus on areas of healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure, women safety, smart mobility and transportation, environment, accessibility and disability and digital literacy.
  • As part of the programme, engineering students across the country will be invited to apply and join in a learning journey that will help them transform their bright ideas into real-world solutions.
  • Applicants will take part in online and offline learning opportunities on key technologies such as Machine Learning, Cloud and Android.
  • These will be offered through Google’s Developer Student Club network and other Google Developer networks.
  • Google will also offer mentorship sessions in product design, strategy and technology to the most promising products and prototypes.
IIT Kharagpur and Amazon Web Services (AWS) join hands to develop AI portal
  • To promote learning and development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur announced a collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop a National Artificial Intelligence Resource Portal (NAIRP) platform.
  • NAIRP was launched with initial funding from the Ministry of Human Resources Development, as part of the National Digital Library of India (NDLI) platform.
  • It builds upon and expands NDLI to AI by indexing a wide variety of AI-specific resources such as learning materials, courses, workbooks, datasets, codes, tools and platforms.The upcoming portal will provide search, browse, learning and computation services.
  • Hands-on AI training will be facilitated to all AI learners, practitioners, and researchers in India through workbooks and the cloud.
  • The system will start off using AWS Cloud, and will also be connected in the future with the in-house cloud developed at IIT Kharagpur.

FACTFILE – Amazon Web Services (AWS)

  • Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a subsidiary of Amazon that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms and API, on a metered pay-as-you-go basis.
  • These cloud computing web services provide a set of primitive abstract technical infrastructure and distributed computing building blocks and tools.
  • AWS’s version of virtual computers emulate most of the attributes of a real computer including, hardware central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs) for processing, local/RAM memory, hard-disk/SSD storage; a choice of operating systems; networking; and pre-loaded application software such as web servers, databases, customer relationship management (CRM), etc.
  • The AWS technology is implemented at server farms throughout the world, and maintained by the Amazon subsidiary.
  • AWS operates from many global geographical regions including 6 in North America.
  • AWS comprised various services spanning a wide range including computing, storage, networking, database, analytics, application services, deployment, management, mobile, developer tools, and tools for the Internet of Things. The most popular include Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) and Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3).
  • As of 2017, AWS owns a dominant 34% of all cloud (IaaS, PaaS) while the next three competitors Microsoft, Google, and IBM have 11%, 8%, 6%.

September 02, 2019

 Sivasagar becomes first district in Assam to launch e-office
  • The Upper Assam Divisional Commissioner Julie Sonowal launched e-office (e-file management system) at the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Sivasagar. With this initiative, Sivasagar has attained the status of being the first district in the State to launch ‘e-office’.
  • With the office of the Deputy Commissioner trasitioning towards a complete electronic file management system, four more offices of the district, namely, office of the Superintendent of Police, office of the District Transport Officer, Agriculture office and Zila Parishad will also come under the e-office system.
  • Attending the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner Dr S Lakshmanan elaborated upon the advantages of e-office. With the benefit of having zero maintenance cost, the system will not only provide full confidentiality of the office files, but will also save us from the worries of space management.
  • The success of the system will depend largely on the quality, dedication and involvement of the manpower working with the system.
  • The Deputy Commissioner highlighted the importance of e-office and the facilities available in the system for better service delivery to the citizens.
  • The e-office is a Mission Mode Project developed and designed by National Informatics Centre (NIC) which was first implemented by the Government of Assam at the Assam Secretariat in 2017.
  • Later, it was extended to the Directorate, Commissionerate, attached offices and districts levels. The Secretariat Administration Department (SAD) is the Nodal Department of the project in Government of Assam.
5 new governors appointed is various states
  • President of India, Ram Nath Kovind announced new governors for five states in the country.
  • Kalraj Mishra has been transferred from Himachal Pradesh to Rajasthan, where he replaces Kalyan Singh as the new Governor.
  • BandaruDattatreya replaces Mishra in Himachal Pradesh.
  • Bhagat Singh Koshyari has been appointed the new Governor of Maharashtra shunting out Vidyasagar Rao.
  • In Kerala, Arif Mohammed Khan replaces P. Sathasivam as the new Governor.
  • DrTamilisaiSoundararajan has been made the new governor of Telangana replacing E.S.L. Narasimhan.
Himachal Pradesh signs pacts to tap 250 MW solar power
  • Himachal Pradesh signed two pacts for setting up solar power plants with an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore.
  • One pact for Rs 600 crore was signed with Renew Energy Private Ltd for setting up a 150 MW solar plant, which is proposed to commission by 2021.
  • While the second was signed with CSE Development (India) Private Ltd for setting up a 100 MW plant.
  • On behalf of the state government, the pacts were signed here by Principal Secretary PrabodhSaxena where Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was also present.
  • The solar plants would be set up in Una and Kangra districts.
Pune-based agritech startup Agrostar is helping boost crop yields for farmers
  • Nearly 70 per cent of small farmers — those cultivating fewer than three acres — in India often find their crops damaged by unforeseen weather and pests. An even higher number, 74 per cent, lack access to farming-related information.
  • To bridge this knowledge gap, Pune-based agritech startup AgroStar has a multi-lingual mobile app on Google Cloud Platform that is helping boost crop yields and encourage sustainable practices for small farmers in the country.
  • Launched as an on-premise, e-commerce platform selling farm tools in 2008, the firm turned to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) to expand its offerings.
  • The firm now uses Cloud-based analytics and is deploying machine learning (ML) models to provide timely advice in five languages — from seed optimization, crop rotation and soil nutrition to pest control and commodity price forecasting to small farmers.

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September 03, 2019

 IAF inducted Eight Apache choppers at Pathankot
  • The Indian Air Force (IAF) inducted eight Apache helicopters at the Pathankot Air Base in Punjab.
  • The variant of the helicopter, Apache A64E, is the most advanced version and has been designed by the US-based manufacturer Boeing to meet the IAF”s requirements.
  • Boeing formally handed over the aircraft keys to Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa at the function in Pathankot.
  • The eight helicopters were brought to India in two separate batches. They were delivered at the Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad over July and August in two equal batches of four choppers each.
  • India had signed a multi-billion contract with Boeing in September 2015 for purchasing 22 Apache helicopters. The entire fleet is scheduled to be delivered to the IAF by the year 2020.

FACTFILE – Apache helicopter

  • The Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter is an advanced multi-mission helicopter being operated worldwide by the US, UK, Israel and many numbers of countries. The helicopter has proved itself as an operational success across the world. It is one of the most fierce attack helicopters in the world.
  • It is a twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems.
  • The U.S. Army is the primary operator of the AH-64. It has also become the primary attack helicopter of multiple nations, including Greece, Japan, Israel, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. It has been built under license in the United Kingdom as the AgustaWestland Apache.
Haryana CM launches UDAN regional connectivity scheme
  • Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched the UDAN regional connectivity scheme that will allow tourists to fly from Hisar to Chandigarh for just Rs 1,674 in 45 minutes.
  • The launch of the flight was part of the Centre”s UDAN, or ”UdeDeshkaHarNagarik” scheme, building efficient regional air connectivity.
  • The Air Shuttle Services and Flying Training Organisation is also being set up at TheHisar airport by SpiceJet for the training of at least 100 cadet pilots per year initially.
  • Four meritorious girls with state domicile will get 50 per cent fee concession for the entire training and 10 per cent students with domicile will get 50 per cent waiver on tuition fee.
  • SpiceJet has also committed to ensuring absorption as well as placement of 70 per cent pilot trainees.

FACTIFLE – UDAN (UdeDeshkaAamNaagrik)

  • UDAN is a regional airport development and “Regional Connectivity Scheme”(RCS) of Government of India, with the objective of “letting the common citizen of the country fly”, aimed at making air travel affordable and widespread, to boost inclusive national economic development, job growth and air transport infrastructure development of all regions and states of India.
  • At the beginning of the scheme, out of total 486 airports, 406 were participating unserved airports, 27 were well served airports out of 97 non-RCS airports and 12 were operational airports out of 18 participating underserved regional operational airports with regular fixed-wing scheduled flights.
  • The scheme has two components. The first component is to develop new airports and enhance the existing regional airports to increase the number of operational airports for scheduled civilian flights from 70 (in May 2016, total 98 operational including army airports) to at least 150 airports (by December 2018) with regular scheduled flights. Initially more than 100 underserved (no more than 7 scheduled flights per week) and unserved regional airports will be developed by December 2018, for which the initial funding of ₹45,000 million(equivalent to ₹47 billion, US$680 million or €610 million in 2018) for the enhancement of 50 regional airports was approved in May 2017.
  • The second component is to add several hundred financially-viable, capped-airfare, new regional flight routes to connect more than 100 underserved and unserved airports in smaller towns with each other as well as with well served airports in bigger cities by using “Viability Gap Funding” (VGF) where needed.
  • Union government share of “Viability Gap Funding” is from the cess applied to flights to popular routes to main cities and respective state governments have also offered additional benefits to the flight operators to make UDAN-RCS viable.
  • UDAN-RCS Round-Iconcluded in April 2017, 5 airlines companies were awarded 128 fixed-wing flight routes to 70 airports (including 36 newly made operational airports, taking the number of total number of operational airports with civilian scheduled flights to 106 and total 131 airports operational with civilian and army operation including dual-use airports), several of which have already become operational by November 2017 and most of remaining routes will become operational by 15 December 2017.
  • UDAN-RCS Round-IIresults will be awarded in late December 2017, from among the 141 proposals received for 502 new regional routes from 17 airlines and helicopter companies to operate flight services.
  • Number of aircraft jumped 38% to 548 in December 2017 from 395 in 2014 and 50 aircraft are being added every year. Subsequent phases with inclusion of seaplanes will boost the number of potential landing sites from nearly 500 airports to over five lakh (500,000) waterbodies as well as more locations along India’s 7,000 km coastline.
  • UDAN-RCS is both enabler and beneficiary of other key Government of India schemes, such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, Dedicated Freight Corridors, Industrial corridor, BharatNet, Digital India and Make in India, National e-Governance Plan, Startup India and Standup India.
 Cabinet clears hike in ethanol prices for 2019-20
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved an increase in prices of ethanol for the upcoming sugar season 2019-20 (October-September).
  • The CCEA decided to increase prices of ethanol derived from “C heavy” molasses to Rs 43.75 per litre from the 43.36 per litre.
  • The prices of ethanol derived from “B heavy” molasses would also be increased from Rs 52.43 to Rs 54.27 per litre.
  • The CCEA also decided that the price of ethanol from the sugarcane juice, sugar and sugar syrup route would be fixed at Rs 59.48 per litre.
  • The government has been implementing EBP Programme wherein OMCs sell petrol blended with ethanol up to 10 per cent.
  • This programme has been extended to whole of India except the Union Territories of Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands with effect from April 1 this year to promote the use of alternative and environment-friendly fuels.
  • The government intervention also seeks to reduce import dependence for energy requirements and give a boost to the agriculture sector.

September 04, 2019

 IIT Guwahati develops AI chatbot to support EEE students
  • A team of postgraduate students from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, along with their faculty members are developing an Artificial Intelligence-enabled chatbot named “ALBELA” to teach and support first year students of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE).
  • The chatbot would help students find their class schedule, tutorial schedule, and examination queries via a AI-based chat window.
  • Students at times may hesitate to approach an instructor regarding their queries, but with this chat-based system students can clear their doubts, both technical and non-technical, according to the institution.
  • The team is developing the analytical problem solving skill. It will be helpful for the students to learn how to solve analytical problems related to the course.
 Union Cabinet approved infusion of Rs 9,300 crore in IDBI Bank
  • The Union Cabinet approved infusion of over Rs 9,000 crore capital in the IDBI Bank to meet the regulatory capital requirements by raising the capital adequacy ratio (CAR).
  • The government and the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India — will infuse Rs 9,300 crore in the bank. Of this, the government will infuse RS 4,557 crore and the LIC Rs 4,743 crore.
  • The IDBI Bank”s capital base has got eroded with the CAR at 8.1 per cent. The government and the LIC own 49 per cent and 51 per cent stake in the bank.
  • The move is aimed at supporting the credit growth and the regulatory compliance by lenders.
  • IDBI Bank has been a poor performer on many metrics. Its non-performing asset (NPA) is at 29 per cent and has reported loss in the 11 straight quarters.
  • The bank is under the Reserve Bank of India”s prompt corrective action (PCA) framework.

FACTFILE – Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI Bank Limited)

  • IDBI Bank was established in 1964 by an Act to provide credit and other financial facilities for the development of the fledgling Indian industry. Initially it operated as a subsidiary of Reserve Bank of India RBI transferred it to GOI . Many institutes of national importance finds their roots in IDBI like Sidbi, Exim bank, NSE and NSDL.
  • It currently has 3,702 ATMs, 1892 branches, including one overseas branch in Dubai, 58 e-lounges and 1407 centers.
  • The bank has an aggregate balance sheet size of INR 3.74 trillion as on 31 March 2016.
  • On June 29, 2018 Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has got a technical go-ahead from Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to increase stake in IDBI Bank up to 51%. LIC of India completed acquisition of 51% controlling stake in IDBI Bank on January 21, 2019 making it the majority shareholder of the bank. Subsequent to enhancement of equity stake by LIC of India on January 21, 2019, IDBI Bank stands re-categorized as a Private Sector Bank.
 BRICS countries are stepping up technology transfer and transformation
  • BRICS countries are stepping up technology transfer and transformation, said a conference organised by the BRICS Technology Transfer Center in Kunming, capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province.
  • Representatives from enterprises, universities and research institutes in 11 countries and regions, including the BRICS members (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) held discussions on seeking closer international technology cooperation.
  • A display and trading system for international technology transfer was launched on the occasion.
  • Eighteen per cent of global GDP and 17 per cent of R&D spendings come from BRICS countries, which account for 42 per cent of the world’s population.
  • The BRICS Technology Transfer Center was set up in Kunming in 2018 to promote industrial transformation of advanced innovations.
 

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September 05, 2019

 Assam Governor launches Poshan Maah
  • Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi today launched the ceremonial beginning of Poshan Maah (Poshan Month) at a function held at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakhshetra.
  • It may be noted that the entire month of September is being celebrated as RashtriyaPoshanMaah and this year the theme is ‘Complementary feeding’ with the vision to address malnutrition with a targeted approach by 2022.
  • Governor Mukhi said the PoshanAbhiyaan has been launched to emphasise the need for healthy nutrition and it should be the one-liner objective to generate awareness about this mission to involve more and more people so that no targeted group is left behind.
  • At the same time, he observed that special emphasis should be given in the tea garden areas to make up for the nutritional deficiency and reduce low birth weight in those areas.
  • He said that though the programme strives to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia and low birth weight among babies, without unified efforts it would be very difficult to achieve the target.
  • He therefore called for inter-departmental convergence for the success of the objective.
  • The Governor also emphasised the need for coordination, convergence and cordiality among all the stakeholders for making the PoshanMaah a huge success.
  • As part of the programme a pledge was also administered to make a malnutrition-free India by 2022.

FACTFILE – POSHAN Maah

  • Month of September 2018 was celebrated as Rashtriya POSHAN Maah. The activities in POSHAN Maahfocussed on Social Behavioural Change and Communication (SBCC).
  • The broad themes were: antenatal care, optimal breastfeeding (early and exclusive), complementary feeding, anaemia, growth monitoring, girls’ – education, diet, right age of marriage, hygiene and sanitation, eating healthy – food fortification.
  • More than 12.2 Crore women, 6.2 Crore men and over 13 Crore children (male and female) were reached through the various activities undertaken during POSHAN Maah. It is worth mentioning that 30.6 Crore people were reached in 30 days. POSHAN Maah has given a major impetus to the Abhiyaan.
 15 MoUs exchanged during PM Modi’s visit to Russia
  • A total of 15 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) or agreements were exchanged during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Vladivostok in Russia.
  • Joint Statement “Reaching New Heights of Cooperation through Trust and Partnership”.
  • Joint Strategy for the Enhancement of India-Russia Trade and Investments.
  • Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and Government of the Russian Federation and on the cooperation in the production of spare parts for Russian/Soviet military equipment.
  • Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Russian Federation on Cooperation in Audiovisual Co-production.
  • Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation on bilateral cooperation in the road transport and road industry.
  • Memorandum of Intent between the Ministry of Shipping of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation on the Development of Maritime Communications between the Port of Chennai, Republic of India and the Port of Vladivostok, Russian Federation.
  • Plan for cooperation between the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Ministry of Finance, Republic of India and the Federal Customs Service (Russian Federation), for combating customs violations in 2019-2022.
  • Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas of the Republic of India on the use of Natural Gas for Transportation.
  • Programme between the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation on expansion of cooperation in oil and gas sector.
  • Memorandum of Understanding between Coal India Limited and Far East Investment and Export Agency to cooperate in coking coal mining projects implementation in the Russian Far East.
  • Cooperation Agreement between Invest India and the Russian Direct Investment Fund for Investment Collaboration.
  • Cooperation agreement between the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry the Roscongress Foundation.
  • Memorandum of Understanding between the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Autonomous Non-profit Organization Agency for Strategic Initiatives to promote New Projects.
  • Memorandum of understanding between the Joint Stock Company NOVATEK and PETRONET LNG Limited on cooperation with respect to the joint development of downstream LNG Business and LNG supplies.
  • Agreement on Cooperation between Joint-Stock Company Rosgeologia and Srei Infrastructure Finance Limited.
 Bihar Govt signs pact with Skymet Weather Services for weather forecasts
  • Bihar government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Skymet Weather Services, India”s largest private weather monitoring and agri-risk solutions company, to facilitate weather forecast services.
  • The MoU intends to support the Bihar Water Resource Department in disaster preparedness from the data shared by Skymet Weather on rainfall forecast and inclement weather alerts.
  • Bihar is one of India”s most flood prone areas.
  • Skymet will be supporting with information on weather forecast, which will help to incorporate measures to share timely information with the people at large.

September 06, 2019

 Bhagat Singh Koshyari takes oath as Maharashtra Governor
  • Former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Bhagat Singh Koshyari, sworn-in as the 19th Governor of Maharashtra.
  • Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog of the Bombay High Court administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new Governor at the sprawling Raj Bhavan facing the Arabian Sea.
  • After taking oath, Koshyari, who had served as a college teacher in Uttar Pradesh”sEtah, also greeted all teachers on the occasion of Teachers Day.
  • Koshyari, 77 takes over from C.V. Rao, whose term ended earlier this week.

FACTFILE – The Governors and Lieutenant Governors/Administrators of Indian States/UTs

  • The Governors and Lieutenant Governors/Administrators of the states and union territories of India have similar powers and functions at the state level as that of the President of India at Union level.
  • Governors exist in the states while Lieutenant Governors exist in Union Territories and in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
  • The governor acts as the nominal head whereas the real power lies with the Chief ministers of the states and his/her councils of ministers.
  • In India, a lieutenant governor is in charge of a union territory. However, the rank is present only in the union territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Puducherry (the other territories have an administrator appointed).
  • The governor of Punjab acts as the administrator of Chandigarh.
  • The governors and lieutenant governors are appointed by the President for a term of five years.
 India inks two defence MoUs with South Korea
  • India and South Korea signed two MoUs pertaining to defence co-operation during Defence Minister RajnathSingh”s visit to the East Asian nation.
  • The MoUs are aimed at furthering defence educational exchanges and extension of mutual logistical support for the navies of both countries.
  • Singh met his South Korean counterpart JeongKyeongdoo during his three-day visit to the country.
  • The two leaders had a comprehensive review of bilateral defence co-operation and noted that defence co-operation lies at the heart of the Special Strategic Partnership between India and South Korea.
  • India and Korea were also discussed apart from exchange of views on regional and international developments of mutual interest.
  • Singh paid homage at the National Cemetery of Korea and also visited the War Memorial where he presented a copy of the citation received by the Indian 60th Para Field Hospital for its exceptional contributions during the Korean War.
 President Kovind confers awards to 46 teachers on Teachers’ Day
  • President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the National Awards to 46 teachers at Vigyan Bhawan on the occasion of Teachers” Day.
  • Teachers from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Rajasthan and Jharkhand received the prestigious awards for their innovation and making their classes interesting.
  • For the first time that a teacher from an army school, which is governed by the Defence Ministry, has also been included to the list of the award winners.
  • The Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry had invited nominations for the prestigious awards between May 6 and June 25, from which the teachers were selected on the basis of a three-tier process.
  • The teachers were first required to nominate themselves online, following which the district, state and the national level committees selected them.
  • The nominated teachers gave a presentation before the independent Jury comprising a senior educationist.
  • The prestigious award carries a silver medal, certificate and Rs 50,000 as award money.

 

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September 07, 2019

 President felicitates 27 women for role in Swachh Mission
  • President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the Swachh Bharat Awards on 27 women champions from each state for their outstanding contribution to the Swachh Bharat Mission.
  • These women worked at the grassroots level to provide better sanitation access to their families.
  • The President said the biggest achievement of the Swachh Bharat Mission was that it had become a campaign of every Indian and was not just a government campaign.
  • While referring to the UN sustainable development goals to be achieved by 2030, the President said India was set to achieve the cleanliness target in 2019 itself, 11 years ahead of schedule.
  • The goals for the next phase should be achieved by strengthening the first phase’s success.
  • The culture of cleanliness should be imbibed and the attention should be paid towards maintenance of facilities set up during the first phase.
  • The Swachhta Pakhwada Award was given to the Department of Defence. Power Grid Corporation received the award in the category of public sector undertakings. Gujarat and Sikkim were given Open Defecation Free (ODF) and Behaviour Change awards.
 CII Telangana to train 5,000 teachers in IT skills
  • The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Telangana, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Telangana Department of School Education to train 5,000 government teachers in basic IT skills.
  • The project would be implemented in collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and CII member companies.
  • About 500 corporate volunteers would be involved in implementing the project, which will be launched in Hyderabad and will later be expanded to Warangal, Nizamabad, Karimnagar and other districts.
  • Vijay Kumar, Director, Department of Education, and V. Rajanna, past Chairman of CII Telangana and Senior Vice-President & Global Head – Technology Business Unit, Tata Consultancy Services, signed the MoU.
 Indo-US joint military exercise begins in Washington
  • A joint military exercise between India and the US began in Washington as part of the ongoing defence co-operation between the two nations.
  • It is being conducted at the Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington.
  • Named YudhAbhyas, the exercise is one of the largest joint-running military training and defence co-operation endeavours between India and the US.
  • Armies of India and the US will jointly train, plan and execute a series of well-developed operations for neutralization of threats of varied nature during the exercise.
  • At the end, a joint exercise will be undertaken by both countries in an operational setting under a UN mandate. Experts from both sides will hold academic and military discussions to share each other”s experiences on varied topics for mutual benefit.
  • The exercise will provide an opportunity to the armed forces of both countries to train in an integrated manner at the Battalion level, with joint planning at Brigade level, whereby multiple scenarios will be rehearsed to understand each other”sorganisation structure.
 Arif Mohammed Khan sworn in as Kerala Governor
  • Arif Mohammed Khan took oath as the new Governor of Kerala. Chief Justice of Kerala High Court Hrishikesh Roy administered the oath of office to Khan in presence of state Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan.
  • Khan was appointed as the Governor of Kerala on September 1 and he replaces Justice (Retd) PalanisamySathasivam who was appointed as governor of the state in September 2014.
  • Khan was appointed as the Governor of Kerala on September 1 and he replaces Justice (Retd) PalanisamySathasivam who was appointed as governor of the state in September 2014.

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Assam Current Affairs – August 29 – 31, 2019

Posted on by admin 
Current Affairs Assam – August 29 - 31, 2019

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of August 29 – 31, 2019 )

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August 29, 2019

Assam topped NE in road accidents last year, Report says
  • Assam had topped the northeastern region in the number of road accidents last year, a report published by the State police said.
  • A total of 2,966 people were killed and 7,375 injured in 8,248 accidents last year, according to the report titled ‘An analytical glimpse on road accidents in Assam’.
  • The report said the State had ranked 16th in the country in the number of road accidents. It said 30 people were killed and 89 injured in every 100 accidents in the State. Eight people were killed and 20 injured on an average in road accidents in the State every day last year, it said.
  • “Lack of knowledge of road safety rules is one of the main causes of accidents. Majority of these were caused due to negligent and callous driving,” State Director General of Police Kuladhar Saikia said. He said many deaths and injuries due to road accidents could have been prevented.
  • The occurrence of road accidents had risen by 15 per cent in 2018 over the previous year, while fatalities had seen a spurt of six per cent and injuries rose by 19 per cent, the report said.
  • Forty eight per cent of the accidents had occurred on the national highways, while 26 per cent of those had taken place on the State highways and other roads.
  • Road accidents had risen in 30 districts of the State whereas four districts had witnessed a dip. On the other hand, fatalities and injuries had risen in 24 and 26 districts respectively, it said.
India wins first-ever gold in WorldSkills competition
  • The Indian contingent at the WorldSkills competition in Russia’s Kazan has bagged five medals – including a gold medal – and finished at the 13thposition amongst all participating countries.
  • For the first time ever, India has secured a gold medal in the competition which is the biggest vocational education and skills excellence event in theAworld.
  • The gold medal for India was won by Aswatha Narayan Sanagavarapu, who belongs to Odisha, in the Water Technology category.
  • He was also awarded ‘Best of Nation’ among all competitors from India. He had competed against participants from 11 countries.
  • Pranav Udayarak Nutalapati from Karnataka won a silver medal in Web Technologies while Shweta Ratanpura from Maharashtra and Sanjay Pramanik from West Bengal won bronze medals in Graphic Design and Jewellery, respectively.The Indian contingent also won 15 medallions in various categories.
Delhi govt announces fellowships for street artists
  • The Delhi government announced Street Performance Fellowships for 1,000 artists, to encourage, promote and mentor young street artists.
  • The Art, Culture and Languages Department, under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, said Rs 5,000 per month will be given to the artists individually.
  • The applications were invited from individuals working in the field of acting, direction, scriptwriting, dance, music and other forms of street performance.
  • Fellows will be divided into 100 groups. Each group will have a maximum of 10 artists.Each of these 100 groups will be performing at least four times a month.
  • An individual fellow will be provided with Rs 5,000 per month and an additional Rs 4,000 will be provided for the group leaders of the individual groups for the logistical arrangements per show. The performances will take place across the city.

                                                      

August 30, 2019

Numaligarh bio-refinery to be completed in 2021
  • The first biorefinery in the world producing cellulosic ethanol and bio-based chemicals from bamboo while producing green power as byproduct for local use, which is coming up at Numaligarh, will be completed by 2021.
  • Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), Finland’s Chempolis Ltd and Finnish energy company Fortum 3 BV had established a joint venture Assam Bio Refinery Private Limited in 2018 for building and operating the biorefinery.
  • Chempolis CEO Tomi Honkala said he was confident that the biorefinery will be operational in planned schedule. “Our joint venture is currently finalising the technical process details. Construction work of the refinery has started.
  • NRL managing director SK Barua was on a visit to Finland for a review of the biorefinery project and to hold discussion on strategic options for growth. He also held a discussion with Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Skinnari during his official tour to Chempolis Biorefinery Park at Oulu.
  • The biorefinery will use 300,000 tonnes of bamboo annually from the vast natural and cultivated bamboo reserves of Northeast India. The plant will produce annually 60 million litres of bioethanol, 19,000 tonnes of furfural, 11,000 tonnes of acetic acid, and 144 gigawatt hours of green energy.
  • Chempolis is the licensor of the plant’s advanced technology and is providing technical expertise. Barua said NRL has invested heavily on the cooperation with Chempolis in India.The goal of the Indian government is to increase bioethanol’s share from the current 3.3 per cent to 20 per cent by 2030.
  • The biorefinery will be the first biorefinery in the world producing cellulosic ethanol and bio-based chemicals from bamboo, while producing green power as byproduct for local use. Bio-ethanol will be blended to petrol by NRL in order to reduce carbon footprint of its fuels and to reduce the dependence on imported crude.

FACTFILE – Numaligarh Refinery

  • The Numaligarh Refinery is located at Morangi, Golaghat district, Assam in India is a refinery owned by Numaligarh Refinery Limited, a joint venture between Bharat Petroleum (61.65%), Oil India (26%) and Govt of Assam (12.35%).
  • As of 2014, it had a capacity of 3 million metric tonnes per year.
  • In January 2019, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved plans to increase the refinery’s capacity to 9 million metric tonnes per year.
Punjab gets Rs 1,040 Crore for Greening Punjab
  • Accepting Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s request, the Centre sanctioned Rs.1,040 crore for the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for greening Punjab.
  • Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot received the sanction letter from the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar.
  • Javadekar also appreciated the state”s effort to turn afforestation into a mass-movement with schemes, like ”Ghar Ghar Hariyali”, and planting of 550 trees in each village during the 550th Prakash Purb celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev.
Centre approves Nagpur zoo
  • The Centre granted approval to the new Gorewada International zoo in Nagpur.
  • The approval of the new Gorewada International Zoo in Nagpur, ambitious project of Maharashtra Government.
  • In addition to having dedicated areas for animal exhibits, the zoo will include an entrance plaza, bio-park, aviary, trail of senses, tribal village trail, river ride and a reservoir.
Real-time monitoring of the movement of the goods trains using ISRO Satellites
  • Real-time monitoring of the movement of the goods trains has started in the control office application system through ISRO’s satellite. GPS systems in more than 700 trains have been installed.
  • Goods trains, especially those which transport coal and oil (diesel and petrol), are major source of earnings for Indian Railways.
  • However, complaints of theft of oil and coal are often received, which involves the running staff, railway security forces (RPF), and local employee mafia of railway stations. 
  • The new technology is expected to prevent theft of oil and coal from goods trains, as real-time monitoring would make it difficult to stop these trains at unauthorized stations or outer signals.
  • Now it will not be possible to stop the goods trains at unauthorized stations. If someone stops the trains and steals oil and coal, he will be caught red-handed.
  • Earlier, the system used to monitor the movement of trains was done only when they used to pass from a particular station. It was difficult to tap the trains which halted between two stations.
  • However, with the new satellite surveillance the speed of the train and its location will be available in real time.
Delhi Govt approves new scholarship scheme for SCs
  • The Delhi Cabinet approved a new scholarship scheme to provide financial assistance up to Rs 20 lakh to students from the Scheduled Caste community living in the national capital to pursue higher studies abroad.
  • The decision to provide Rs 5 lakh each student per year to 100 students for Ph.D, having a maximum limit of Rs 20 lakh, and Masters courses, having a maximum limit of Rs 10 lakh, was taken in the meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
  • The students, below 30 years of age, with 55 per cent marks in Master Degree will be eligible for the Ph.D scholarship, while those with 55 per cent marks in Bachelors Degree will be eligible for the Master Degree.
  • The total family income from all sources should not exceed Rs eight lakh per annum.
  • After completion of the course, the candidate will have to submit the course completion certificate by the concerned Institution/University to the Secretary, Department for Welfare of SC/ST/OBC, Delhi.
Delhi cabinet nod to free DTC bus travel for women
    • The Delhi cabinet gave in-principle approval for a free ride to women in DTC and cluster buses starting October 29, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot announced.
    • The Cabinet gave the approval to the Department of Transport”s proposal in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
    • Single journey duration passes will be issued to women passengers in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses.
    • For every pass, a reimbursement of Rs 10 will be made to the DTC. Similar payment in the designated account of cluster scheme for proper accounting of this facility will be done by the government.
    • The Cabinet has directed the DTC to propose suitable amendments in the DTC (Free and Concessional Passes) Regulations, 1985 subject to any alterations, if any, “so that the same may be notified in the official gazette”.
    • The Cabinet has also asked the DTC and the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) to strengthen their ticket checking mechanisms to ensure that the facility is not misused.
  • The free services will be also available for the airport and other special services along with for women passengers plying in the NCR region.

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August 31, 2019

Assam CM launches Fit India Movement
  • Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched the Fit India Movement at a programme organised by the sports and youth welfare department in association with the Kamrup Metro district administration.
  • CM Sonowal stated that the Fit India Movement organised on Khel Diwas is a tribute to Dhyan Chand who was born on this day and mesmerised the world with his fitness, stamina and hockey stick.
  • He also laid stress on transforming the Fit India Movement into a mass movement for generating awareness and good health and mind. He led the gathering present at the function in a pledge for fitness.
  • The Chief Minister further said that a good mind and good health lead to success and that through sports anybody can become strong.
Union govt announced the merger of 10 PSU banks into 4 banks
  • The government announced the mega-merger of 10 PSU banks into four, where the Punjab National Bank, the Oriental Bank of Commerce and the United Bank to merge become the second-largest PSB while the Canara Bank and the Syndicate Bank will amalgamate to make the fourth-largest PSU bank entity.
  • The Union Bank, the Corporation Bank, and the Andhra Bank will be merged to become the fifth-largest PSU bank and the Indian Bank and the Allahabad Bank merge to be the seventh-largest.
  • Post consolidation, the number of PSU banks will come down from 27 to 12 and this, according to Sitharaman, was “the right number of PSU banks to have”.
  • The mergers would help in better management of capital, she said, while announcing the merger proposal as a part of a package of reforms for the economy.
  • She also announced a series of governance reforms for government banks in the hope that the capital infused by the government into the lenders would result in “stronger banks”.She also announced a series of governance reforms for government banks in the hope that the capital infused by the government into the lenders would result in “stronger banks”.
  • She also announced a series of governance reforms for government banks in the hope that the capital infused by the government into the lenders would result in “stronger banks”.
  • The combined entities will control 82 per cent of all public sector banks and 56 per cent of all commercial bank businesses.

FACTFILE – Banking in India

  • Modern banking in India originated in the last decade of the 18th century. Among the first banks were the Bank of Hindustan, which was established in 1770 and liquidated in 1829–32; and the General Bank of India, established in 1786 but failed in 1791.
  • The largest and the oldest bank which is still in existence is the State Bank of India. It originated and started working as the Bank of Calcutta in mid-June 1806. In 1809, it was renamed as the Bank of Bengal. This was one of the three banks founded by a presidency government, the other two were the Bank of Bombay in 1840 and the Bank of Madras in 1843. The three banks were merged in 1921 to form the Imperial Bank of India, which upon India’s independence, became the State Bank of India in 1955.
  • In 1960, the State Banks of India was given control of eight state-associated banks under the State Bank of India (Subsidiary Banks) Act, 1959. These are now called its associate banks.
  • In 1969 the Indian government nationalised 14 major private banks; one of the big banks was Bank of India. In 1980, 6 more private banks were nationalised.
  • The Indian banking sector is broadly classified into scheduled and non-scheduled banks. The scheduled banks are those included under the 2nd Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
  • The scheduled banks are further classified into: Nationalised banks; State Bank of India and its associates; Regional Rural Banks (RRBs); foreign banks; and other Indian private sector banks.
Microsoft partnered with IIT Roorkee to conduct lectures on quantum computing
  • Microsoft partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee to conduct lectures on quantum computing for a full semester. IITs BTech and MTech students can choose the course as a pool elective.
  • The course, which has been structured by IIT Roorkee and Microsoft Garage at Hyderabad, will provide the students, access to “Q# Programming Language” practical examples, Microsoft Quantum Development Kit and Microsoft Quantum Faculty.
  • The Garage is a resource to Microsoft employees that supports experimentation and encourages problem solving in new and innovative ways, ultimately empowering people to achieve more.
  • Microsoft”s quantum computing programme which has been running for more than 15 years, helps students understand the technology, develop practical applications and build the quantum workforce of the future.
  • The experts from the company will provide engineers at IIT Roorkee a unique approach to learn quantum computing with real-world experiments and access to tools.

FACTFILE – Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee)

    • Formerly University of Roorkee and Thomason College of Civil Engineering, is a public engineering university located in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India
    • Established in 1847 in British India by the then lieutenant governor, Sir James Thomason, it is the oldest technical institution in Asia.
    • It was given university status in 1949 and was converted into an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in 2001, thus becoming the seventh IIT to be declared.
  • IIT Roorkee has 22 academic departments covering Engineering, Applied Sciences, Humanities & Social Sciences and Management programs with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.

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Assam Current Affairs – December 29-31, 2018

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Current Affairs Assam – December 29 - 31, 2018

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of December 29-31, 2018 )

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December 29

380th tithi of Bhattadev observed
  • The 380th tithi mahotsav of Bhattadev and the 71st biennial session of Kamrup Damodar Sangha was held with a two-day programme from December 27.
  • the biennial subject committee meeting was held with Jatindra Nath Sarma, president, Kamrup Damodar Sangha in the chair.
  • In the open meeting, a new committee was selected with Jatindra Nath Sarma as president, Kumud Chakrabartty as the working president and Bipin Chandra Das as the general secretary. In a resolution, the meeting demanded the State government to reconstruct the present temple to accommodate a large gathering along with proper sanitation facilities.

FACTFILE – Bhattadeva (1558–1638)

  • Baikunthanatha Bhagavata Bhattacharya is acknowledged as the father of Assamese prose.
  • Though Bhaktiratnakar-katha, the Assamese translation of Sankardev’s Sanskrit composition Bhaktiratnakar by Gopala Charana Dwija preceded the works of Bhattadeva, Bhattadeva’s prose had an influence in the development of a high and dignified style.
  • Bhattadeva’s and Gopala Charana Dvija’s 16th century works are considered to be the earliest examples of prose in Indian languages.
  • Bhattadeva’s erudition in Sanskrit grammar and literature, and his command over the Bhagavata earned him the title of Bhagavata Bhattacharya
Nagaland way behind SDG targets: NITI Report
  • Nagaland, along with Mizoram and Goa, are the three worst performers under industry, innovation and infrastructure category with a zero score in implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targets, according to SDG India Index Baseline Report, 2018 released by NITI Aayog.
  • Majority of the States and Union Territories (UTs) have fallen behind on this goal with 26 States and UTs in the “Aspirant” category with index score less than 50.
  • In SDG index score for the goal of industry, innovation and infrastructure, Nagaland is also among the last three worst performers with a score of 40. Manipur ranked the lowest with a score of 33.
  • Under the SDG index score for the goal of good health and well-being, the State again has one of the lowest score (34) under the ‘Aspirant’ category.
  • However, under the SDG index score for the goal of peace, justice and strong, Nagaland is one of the “frontrunners” with a score of 87. Under the goal of zero hunger, the State was accorded 69 points which also falls under the same category. In the goal of clean water and sanitation, it stood at 58.
  • The SDG index score for the goal of reduced inequalities for Nagaland stood at 80 which falls under the “front runner” category while Meghalaya, Mizoram and Telangana were the only three States which were deemed as “achievers”.
  • In general, from among the States, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have come out as the front runners in implementing the 2030 SDG targets.
  • Along with the three States, the UTs of Chandigarh and Puducherry were also among the front runners on the SDG India Index with a score between 65 to 99 on a scale of 0 to 100, where 100 signifies that it has achieved the 2030 national targets.

FACTFILE – SDG India Index

  • The NITI Aayog developed the country’s first SDG India Index to document the progress made by the States and UTs towards meeting SDG targets and released a baseline report for 2018.
  • The SDG India Index was constructed spanning across 13 out of 17 SDGs. The index tracks the progress of all the States and UTs on a set of 62 priority indicators, measuring their progress on the outcomes of the interventions and schemes of the Government of India. The SDG India Index is intended to provide a holistic view on the social, economic and environmental status of the country and its States and UTs.
  • Each of the 17 SDGs are mapped with a set of 169 targets to be achieved by 2030. These were used as the foundation for building the SDG India Index.
Cabinet Approves National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCIM) Bill, 2018
  • The cabinet has approved the setting up of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCIM) Bill, 2018 that provides for conducting overall education of traditional medicine system of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa- commonly known as Tibetan system of medicine.
  • The cabinet has also approved the National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) Bill, 2018, that proposes setting up a new panel entrusted with conducting overall education of Homoeopathy.
  • The NCIM Bill, seeks to replace the existing regulator Central Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM) with a new body to ensure transparency.
  • The draft Bill provides for the constitution of a National Commission with four autonomous boards entrusted with conducting overall education of Ayurveda, under Board of Ayurveda and Unani, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa under Board of Unani, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa.
Union Cabinet approved listing of seven CPSE through IPO and FPO
  • The seven PSUs are Telecommunication Consultants (India) Ltd, RailTel Corporation India Ltd, National Seed Corporation India Ltd, Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd, Water and Power Consultancy Services (India) Ltd, FCI Aravali Gypsum and Minerals (India) Ltd, and Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd (KIOCL) are to be listed on stock exchange through initial public offering (IPO) and one Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) to issue follow-on public offer (FPO).

Listing in the Stock Market – Initial Public Offering (IPO) and (FPO) Follow-on Public Offering (FPO).

IPO FPO
Initial Public Offering (IPO) refers to an offer of securities made to the public for subscription, by the company. Follow-on Public Offering (FPO) means an offer of securities for subscription to public, by an publicly traded enterprise.
First public issue Second or third public issue
Issued by Unlisted Company Issues by already listed Company
Objective of raising capital through public investment. Objective of Subsequent public investment.

 

India commits Rs 4,500 crore to Bhutan’s 12th Five-Year Plan
  • India announced that it will contribute Rs 4,500 crore to Bhutan’s 12th Five-Year Plan, following delegation-level talks headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering.
  • India will provide a transitional trade support facility of Rs 400 crore over a period of five years to strengthen bilateral trade and economic linkages.
  • There are a number of institutional mechanisms between India and Bhutan in areas like security, border management, trade, economy, hydroelectricity, development cooperation and water resources.
  • India has already set up three hydro-power projects in Bhutan with a total capacity of 1,416MW, which are operational. About three-fourths of the power generated is exported to India and the rest is used for domestic consumption.
  • Both leaders reiterated their commitment to jointly develop 10,000MW of hydro-power generating capacity in Bhutan and in this regard discussed the 2,560 Sunkosh hydro-power project.

December 30

Assam CM lays foundation of NDRF’s new campus
  • Chief Minister SarbanandaSonowal laid the foundation stone of the new campus of the National Disaster Response Force’s (NDRF) 1st Battalion at Amsing.
  • The Chief Minister said NDRF has always been playing a stellar role during natural calamity in the spheres of disaster management and people of the country depend on their services during such critical times.
  • NDRF and SDRF are both providing services during critical situations which have been instrumental in saving both life and property.
FACTFILE – The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
  • It is a specialised force constituted “for the purpose of specialist response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster” under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
  • The responsibility for disaster management in India’s federal system is that of the State Government. The ‘nodal Ministry’ in the central government for management of natural disasters is the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
  • When ‘calamities of severe nature’ occur, the Central Government is responsible for providing aid and assistance to the affected state, including deploying, at the State’s request, of Armed Forces, Central Paramilitary Forces, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and such communication, air and other assets, as are available and needed.
  • National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is under the National Disaster Management Authority, the “Apex Body for Disaster Management” in India.
  • The Prime Minister is the ex-officio chairperson of the NDMA.
Third Annual ‘Dwijing Festival’ in Chirang district
  • The ongoing third annual ‘Dwijing Festival’ on bank of the Aie river in Chirang district coveys a strong message that we (all communities) were and will live and work together in the State, said Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who participated in the festival.
  • He also said that the nation or the State which has rich water resources can make rapid progress and to make it understand and to present the importance of the rivers ‘Namami Brahmaputra’ and ‘Namami Barak’ river festivals were celebrated in the State.
  • BTC Chief Hagrama Mahilary termed the Dwijing Festival as the reflection of development, amity, unity and solidarity among the communities living in BTC which, according to him, saw better development after the BJP assumed power in the State and at the Centre.
  • Mahilary expressed his desire to upgrade this ‘Dwijing (Dwi-water/river, jing-bank) festival’ to a scale similar to the ‘Hornbill Festival’ of Nagaland next year.
FACTFILE – DWIJING FEST 2018-19
  • The Dwijing Festival is an annual river festival to be celebrated in the BTAD region with various colorful events viz. ethnic trade and food festival, exhibition, games & sports, river campaign & adventure and various culture programs to make it a centre of attraction for the visitors as a New Year Festival.
  • Being a medium/platform of earning for the local and others of the region, the festival put its focus especially to the buisness activities for the better economy generation through rural tourism. However the festival is meant to provide help to the flood victim families through charity generation and distribution.
FACTFILE – River Aie (Mother) River
  • River Aie originates from the Himalayan Mountains of Bhutan and flows through the Chirang and Bongaigaon districts of Assam before joining the river Brahmaputra.
  • The River creates a massive attraction for many tourists (locals/visiting) for picnic and weekend activities during the winter season and in summer the river creates massive damages to both the sideways due to heavy rainfall resulting in loss of properties and lives of many families.
India submits sixth national report to Convention of Biological Diversity
  • India on 29th December submitted its sixth national report (NR6) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) highlighting the progress it has made in achieving the 12 National Biodiversity Targets (NBT) set under the convention process.
  • The report highlights that while India had already exceeded two targets, it was on track to achieve another eight soon. The remaining two would be met by the stipulated time of 2020.
  • As per the NR6 report, India had been investing a huge amount on biodiversity directly or indirectly through several development schemes of the Central and state governments — to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore per annum as against the estimated annual requirement of nearly Rs 1,09,000 crore.
  • India has nearly two-thirds of the population of wild tigers in the world. The population of lion has risen from 177 in 1968 to over 520 in 2015, and elephants from 12,000 in 1970s to 30,000 in 2015.
  • One-horned Indian Rhino which was on the brink of extinction during the early 20th century, now number 2,400.
  • Further, while globally over 0.3 per cent of total recorded species are critically endangered, in India only 0.08 per cent of the species recorded are in this category.
  • India is committed to protecting its rich heritage of biodiversity which are so vital to our economic and social development.

 

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Assam Current Affairs – December 15-21, 2018

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Current Affairs Assam – December 15-21, 2018

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December 15

ICCCBSA Global meet on climate change under way at AAU, Jorhat
  • The four-day International Conference on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Agriculture (ICCCBSA) commenced at the Assam Agricultural University, where 1,038 individual research papers to be presented in the conference would throw up at least 15 integrated researchable projects to mitigate climate change, conserve the earth’s biodiversity and assist in sustainable agriculture.
  • Grant Singleton, Principal Scientist at the International Rice Research Institute, (Philippines) and the Guest of honour of the event, said that sustainable development of agriculture was the need of the hour as by 2050 the earth would have to feed a population of seven billion people.
  • The conference has been organised as part of the year-long golden jubilee celebrations from April 2018 to March 2019.

FACTFILE – Assam Agricultural University (AAU)

  • AAU is an agricultural education state university which was established in 1969 in Jorhat in the state of Assam, India.
  • The jurisdiction of the University extends to the entire State of Assam with regard to teaching, research and extension education in the field of agriculture and allied sciences.
  • It was established in 1969
  • Vice-Chancellor – Kamal Malla Bujarbaruah
  • The university has six Regional Agricultural Research Stations in each agricultural zone of Assam at Titabar, North Lakhimpur, Shillongoni, Diphu, Gossaigaon and Karimganj.
  • The university also has four Commodity Research Stations at: Citrus Research Station, Tinsukia, Sugarcane Research Station, Buralikson, Horticulture Research Station, Kahikuchi and Goat Research Station, Burnihut.
  • The university also has established Krishi Vigyan Kendras for extension purpose in all the districts of Assam.
Nokpante fest in Garo Hills
  • The 7th Nokpante Festival, a winter festival of Garo Hills region, was organised by Damas Youth Forum (DYF) in collaboration with the NGH administration, Sports and Youth Affairs and Tourism departments and GHADC.
  • The two-day festival included traditional games that are unique to the community like wapong ska, makkre wa’jol malla, matcha matchu, makkre bolgong malla, sa’rong’kol kalla, sompi sompa, among others which test the physical and mental capacity of the contestants as well as their expertise.
  • The highlight of the festival was the traditional fashion show for both men and women. Boys dressed themselves as warriors (matgrik) and the girls in traditional dakmanda. The festival concluded with a Rock show that included local Rock bands Riprap, Jethro, Markus.
India Post launches e-commerce portal
  • India Post announced the soft launch of its e-commerce portal, the Department of Posts has done only soft launch and full fledge operations of the service will start around or after mid-December.
  • The Department facilitates has collected and remitted more than Rs 2,700 crore under cash-on-delivery till January 2018 since its introduction in December 2013.
  • The ongoing e-commerce business segment resulted in increase of 13 percent revenue of India Post in the 2017-18 and total revenue the department earned under Speed Post till January 2018 was Rs 1,502.60 crore.
India signed Agreement with Google for better flood management
  • The Central Water Commission (CWC) has signed a collaboration agreement with Google for improving the flood prediction system. As per the agreement, the CWC and Google will share technical expertise in the fields of artificial intelligence, machine learning and geo-spatial mapping.
  • The MoU covers analysis of hydrological observation data to collaborate on improving the flood prediction systems, which will help provide location-targeted, actionable flood warnings, a high priority research project utilising the Google Earth engine to help visualise and improve flood management and a cultural project to build online exhibitions on the rivers of India. The term of agreement is for three years.
  • According to the CWC, the States affected by floods till October, 2018 include Tripura, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka (extreme flood situation), Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, NCT Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
India, Myanmar committed to combat terror
  • The India-Myanmar joint statement signed during the state visit of President Ram NathKovind also noted the need to maintain security and stability along the India-Myanmar border, which is essential for the socio-economic development of the population living in the border areas.
  • India and Myanmar have reiterated their commitment to not allow insurgent groups to use their soil for hostile activities.
  • Both sides underlined their mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and reaffirmed their shared commitment to fight insurgent activities and the scourge of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
  • Both sides reiterated their mutual respect for the already demarcated boundary between the two countries and emphasised the need to resolve amicably outstanding boundary demarcation issues at the earliest, through existing bilateral mechanisms.
  • The leaders of the two countries reaffirmed their common aspiration for peace, collective prosperity and development of the region and beyond. The leaders agreed to continue exploring new opportunities to expand bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of the people of both countries.
  • Both sides agreed to sign at the earliest the MoU for cooperation on combating timber trafficking and conservation of tigers and other wildlife. Negotiations on the MoU on bilateral cooperation for prevention of trafficking in persons; rescue, recovery, repatriation and reintegration of victims of trafficking are nearing completion.
  • With regard to the Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project, both sides welcomed the signing of the MoU on appointing a port operator, which would enable the Sittwe Port and Paletwa IWT infrastructure to be used commercially for the development of the surrounding areas.

December 16

Digital CIC opened in Baksa district of Assam
  • A digital Community Information Centre (CIC), established under ‘SBI Gram Seva’, a flagship programme of the State Bank of India’s CSR initiative, was inaugurated in Baksa district.
  • The project is being implemented in the district across five remote villages by the Assam Centre for Rural Development (ACRD), an NGO working on various developmental issues.
  • The CIC, first-of-its kind in the district, is meant for the backward tribal communities to access government schemes, jobs, health, internet and rural banking services.
  • Each CIC is digitised and has a computer, wi-fi connectivity, a flat screen TV, drinking water facility, library, books, and information related to government jobs and schemes, among other things.

FACTFILE – ‘SBI Gram Seva’

  • The ‘SBI Gram Seva’ project is a flagship programme launched by the State Bank of India Foundation in 2017 across six states of India, including Assam.
  • It focuses on integrated development of villages through the gaon panchayats.
India, France reiterate resolve to jointly fight terrorism
  • India and France reiterated their resolve to jointly fight the global scourge of terrorism following delegation-level talks headed by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian.
  • Both India and France were implementing their outlined action in joint strategic vision cooperation in the Indian Ocean region.
  • Now the two sides are working towards deepening and expanding these large contacts, especially at the operational and service level.
  • Le Drian also called for a joint collaboration between the two countries in the field of cinema.
Nasscom partners IIT-Madras for training workforce in digital skills
  • Nasscom has collaborated with the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras for its FutureSkills Platform that is targeted at re-skilling/upskilling four million people on digital skills.
  • Under its FutureSkills Platform, Nasscom aims to re-skill/upskill four million people from the IT-ITeS industry, students entering the workforce and employees of other industries/government on digital skills.
  • The partnership with IIT-Madras will facilitate the building of an able workforce to support the industry and other stakeholders. This will ensure that there is plenty of trained manpower for the jobs being created in the evolving ecosystem.
  • The partnership will be directly with the Sector Skills Council (SSC) which is the education and skill development initiative of Nasscom.
  • The SSC and IIT Madras will work towards building a skills academy and establish a program with extensive courses and training programmes to facilitate skill building in the institution
Amazon India signs MoU with FISME to empower MSMEs
  • Amazon India on 13th December announced a partnership with the Federation of Indian Micro and Small and Medium Enterprises(FISME) to empower Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to leverage growth opportunities in the e-commerce sector.
  • As per the MoU, Amazon.in in collaboration with FISME will conduct various events and workshops across the country that will enable and encourage the MSMEs in the country to sell their products to millions of consumers from India and across the globe by leveraging e-commerce marketplace solutions.
  • in and FISME aim to educate MSMEs on the nuances of online selling domestically and also B2C exports to enable them to sell across multiple international locations.
  • Through the collaboration, MSMEs will get access to experts from Amazon, FISME and various service providers to help them understand the procedures and requirements related to areas such as logistics, cataloging, imaging, taxation and will guide them through the entire process of selling through the e-commerce marketplace route.
  • MSMEs will be educated on digital business opportunity, brand building, documentation, listing methodology and services such as fulfillment by Amazon & Sponsored Ads.

 

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Assam Current Affairs – November 29-30, 2018

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Current Affairs Assam - November 29-30, 2018

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November 29

IIT-G scientists publish breakthrough research work on metastatic cancer
  • A research conducted by Gautam Biswas, IIT-G Director, alongwith his colleagues Siddhartha Sankar Ghosh of biosciences & bioengineering and Amaresh Dalal from mechanical engineering departments, have demonstrated the movement of metastatic cancer cells, a breakthrough in cancer research.
  • The research showed how cancer cells can deform, survive and pass through micro capillaries in the human body. Multi-cellular aggregates of cancer cells are the initiators of distant organ metastasis and cause spread of cancer in the body.
  • The findings been endorsed in the prestigious Scientific Journal, that publishes scientifically valid primary research from all areas of the natural and clinical sciences. Earlier it was assumed that cancer cells are too large to pass through narrow vessels such as pulmonary capillaries to reach other organs.
  • The research work is expected to be helpful for oncologists in devising new methods of cancer treatment.

FACTFILE – Cancer cells

  • Cancer cells are cells that divide relentlessly, forming solid tumors or flooding the blood with abnormal cells.
  • Healthy cells stop dividing when there is no longer a need for more daughter cells, but cancer cells continue to produce copies.
  • They are also able to spread from one part of the body to another in a process known as metastasis.
  • The enzyme telomerase is used to extend the cancer cell’s life span. While the telomeres of most cells shorten after each division, eventually causing the cell to die, telomerase extends the cell’s telomeres. This is a major reason that cancer cells can accumulate over time, creating tumors.
Nagaland launches Supply Chain Management for timely delivery of foodgrains
  • To ensure timely delivery of goods and services to the people of Nagaland, Supply Chain Management (SCM) was launched by DK Gupta, Director of Public Distribution, Ministry of Public distribution and Consumer Affairs.
  • SCM is a powerful monitoring tool for tracking stock inventory starting from the godown to the fair price shops. The application would make the beneficiaries aware about the availability of food grains.
  • Under the National Food Security Act, Nagaland has completed all the activities required for beneficiaries except FPS Automation. As per a Supreme Court order, all beneficiaries availing subsidized food grains in Nagaland and across the country have to seed their ration cards with Aadhaar on or before March 31, 2019.
  • The SCM will help in accquring accurate information on all storage facilities in the state and would help the department in making effective decision making.
Nagaland Govt. restricts use of plastics
  • The Nagaland government notified its policy for restricting the use of plastics in the state to eradicate the serious environmental and ecological challenges posed by rampant use of plastics with immediate effect.
  • As per the notification, all single-use plastics less than 50 microns especially plastic bags and plastic cutlery including styrofoam and thermocol disposable plates will be banned from December 1, 2018.
  • It said the government offices will stop using packaged drinking water bottles, below 20 litres capacity, by April 1, 2019. Alternatives like filtered water dispensers and reverse osmosis plants will be introduced while the government servants will be encouraged to carry reusable drinking water bottles.
  • Alternatives to plastic bags such as cloth, jute, paper bags, bamboo and leaf plates and cutlery will be promoted and popularized.
  • State Gvto will set up a taskforce in each district that will include government officials, NGOs and church leaders to devise local strategies and build awareness for plastic-free environment.
  • The village councils and municipal bodies will be sensitised to take proactive action for discouraging use of plastics in their jurisdiction and they can decide on the issue of levying penalties for continued use of single-use plastics in their jurisdiction.
  • The government will provide incentives to entrepreneurs investing in production of paper bags and cloth bag making units, disposable biodegradable cutlery from areca nut leaves, setting up of water ATMs in public places, plastic shredding units for recycling of plastics among others.
India’s PSLV rocket successfully puts HysIS satellite into orbit
  • India put into orbit its own Hyper Spectral Imaging Satellite (HysIS) an earth observation satellite.
  • The Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle Core Alone (PSLV CA) rocket variant lifted off with 31 satellites, the HysIS and 30 foreign satellites (including 23 satellites are from the US, the rest are from Australia, Canada, Columbia, Finland, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Spain).
  • The notable aspect of the rocket mission is the placing of the satellites in two different orbits of different altitude.
  • While the HysIS has been placed in its intended orbit, the remaining 30 foreign satellites will be later ejected at a lower orbit, all the foreign satellites were placed in a 504 km orbit.

FACTFILE – HySIS (Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite)

  • HySIS is an Earth observation satellite which will provide hyperspectral imaging services to India for a range of applications in agriculture, forestry, defence and in the assessment of geography such as coastal zones and inland waterways.
  • Payloads
  • HySIS carries two payloads, the first in the Visible Near Infrared (VNIR) spectral range of 0.4 to 0.95 micrometers with 60 contiguous spectral bands and the second in the Shortwave Infrared Range (SWIR) spectral range of 0.85 to 2.4 micrometres with a 10 nanometre bandwidth and 256 contiguous spectral bands.
Indo-Russian joint military drill INDRA concludes
  • The 10th edition of Indo-Russian joint military exercise INDRA culminated at Babina Military Station here on Wednesday after a joint tactical exercise and a grand closing ceremony.
  • The 11-day long joint training that commenced on November 18 included developing “common understanding of transnational terrorism, interoperability and conduct of joint tactical operations” controlled by a Joint Command Post working under the aegis of United Nations.
  • Classes were organised on cordon and search operations, raid on terrorist hideout, intelligence gathering and sharing, perception management, humanitarian laws and hostage rescue.
  • The participating contingents also carried out specialised joint training on hostage rescue by slithering from MI-17 helicopters.
  • Major General P.S. Minhas, General Officer Commanding of White Tiger Division of the Indian Army and Major General Tsekov Oleg Moosovich, Commander, Fifth Army of the Russian Army witnessed the validation exercise conducted at the field firing ranges.

November 30

Silapathar Science College creates rice bank to preserve indigenous varieties
  • The Silapathar Science College, located in Dhemaji district of Assam has not only set up a rice bank to preserve seeds of indigenous varieties that are losing out to new high-yielding varieties but also encouraging farmers to grow them so that they do not become extinct.
  • The College has so far documented and preserved 251 indigenous varieties through its rice bank.
  • Set up in 1996, the college started to work closely with farmers in the district since 2015 and organised a “Rice Mela” to showcase the indigenous varieties grown in the district.
  • Assam produced over 70 lakh tonnes of rice in 2017, compared to 52 lakh tonnes the previous year.
  • Besides the normal rice, Assam also produces different varieties of aromatic rice, locally known as “Joha”; some varieties of soft rice, locally known as “Komal Saul” that needs no cooking; and a huge variety of sticky rice, commonly known as “Bora”.
New health project ‘PLUS’ launched in five Arunachal districts
  • A health project named ‘Precious Lives under Safety (PLUS)’ is recently launched by Arunachal Government.
  • The project is initially launched in five district of Papumpare, Lower Subansiri, West Siang, East Siang and Lohit.
  • It was a modified form of Prime Minister Surakshit Matritwa Yojana, which ensures zero mortality of pregnant mother and neo natal babies besides 100 percent coverage of child birth in government run hospitals.
  • He said that about 50 percent registered pregnant women in the state gives birth out of government hospital under various reason, but the new project would facilitate them to come to government hospitals for at least four times ante-natal check up and hospital delivery.
Nagaland signed MoU with Estonia for setting up e-governance academy
  • The Nagaland government signed an MoU with Estonian to setup as academy in Kohima to enlighten the state people on the e-governance models prevailing in the world.
  • The main objective of the five-year agreement with the e-Governance Academy of Estonia is to work together to develop and expand scientific collaboration on setting up e-Governance Academy in Nagaland.
  • The agreement was signed during the e-Naga Summit, held with a vision to embark on a process to instill the spirit of innovation and use of technology for impacting positive change in the society.
Manipur emerges overall champion in National School Games
  • Host Manipur emerged overall team champion at the end of 5-day 64th National School Games, 2018 in Taekwondo for U-14 Boys & Girls held at the Taekwondo Training Hall of Khuman Lampak Sports Complex in Imphal.
  • Manipur won a total of five gold, three silver and one bronze medals and tops the medal tally while Haryana took three gold, four silver and one bronze medals to clinch the overall runner’s up title. The third position in the tally was bagged by Maharashtra with two gold, five silver and two bronze medals.
  • With two gold medals and one bronze medal, Nagaland ranked 7th the in medal tally after Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Delhi.
  • The Youth Affairs and Sports Department organised the games under the aegis of School Games Federation of India.
India-UK joint naval exercise Konkan-2018 begins at Goa
  • India-UK joint naval exercise “Konkan-2018” has started at Goa and would go on till December 6, The Royal Navy of UK will be represented by HMS Dragon, a Type 45 Class Destroyer equipped with an integral Wildcat helicopter.
  • The Indian Navy will field INS Kolkata, the first ship of latest Kolkata class destroyers, equipped with integral Seaking and an IN submarine.
  • In addition, Indian Navy’s maritime patrol aircraft Dornier will also participate in the exercise.
  • The thrust of the exercise this year would be on anti-submarine warfare, visit board search and seizure (VBSS), anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare and seamanship evolutions.
  • The bilateral Konkan exercise provides a platform for the two navies to periodically exercise at sea and in harbour, so as to build interoperability and share best practices.

 

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Assam Current Affairs – November 22-28, 2018

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Current Affairs Assam – November  22-28, 2018

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of November 22 – 28, 2018 )

November 2018 – Monthly PDF | Monthly Quiz eBook

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November 22

Assam honoured with India Today’s most improved large State award
  • In recognition to the State Government’s initiatives to ensure development and quality of life for its citizens, Assam has been awarded the most improved large state in the categories of Overall performance, Economy and Health by India Today at the ‘State of the States Conclave’ held in New Delhi.
  • Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal received the award from Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu.
  • He also said that corruption-free Assam has been Govt’s top most agenda and govt has cracked down against corrupt practices in the state.
  • In the tenure of this govt, the state government has detected and cancelled four lakh bogus job cards under MGNREGA, over 36,000 bogus ration cards and over 70 thousand bogus beneficiaries registered under National Old age pension scheme apart from officials held for APSC ‘cash for job scam’.
  • The North East region is fast emerging as a centre of growth. PM Narendra Modi has called the North East as ‘New Engine of New India’ and ‘Ashtalakshmi’. And has laid special emphasis on improving connectivity within the region and with the rest of India, via railways, waterways, roads, air or telecommunication.
  • By plugging leakages, revenue collection of the State increased from Rs. 7011 crore in 2015-16 to 8457 crore in 2017-18, an increase of 21%.
  • Capital expenditure has increased from Rs. 4919 crore in 2015-16 to 12,817 crore in 2017-18, showing our commitment to improve quality of expenditure.
  • Government’s sustained efforts to focus on boosting rural economy through leveraging growth of agriculture and other allied sectors, as a result of which annual production of rice has increased by 2.27 lakh tons, horticulture production has increased by 6.19 lakh tons and fish production by 33 thousand tons in 2017-18 as compared to 2015-16.
  • For the first time direct export of fruits and vegetables from Guwahati to Dubai and other international destinations has started..
  • State Government organized North East India’s first ever Global Investors’ Summit to realise agri-business potential being thrown open by the ‘Act East Policy’. The state has recorded Rs 12,000 crore worth of investments and this has generated direct employment of around 40 thousand and even more indirect employment.
  • Recently many initiatives being implemented in the health sector including schemes like Atal Amrit Yojana, CM’s Free Diagnostic Scheme, wage compensation scheme for tea garden pregnant women and cancer care grid, etc.
  • Chief Minister Sonowal thanked the Prime Minister and the Union Government for their un-stinted support and the cooperation of the government employees and people of the state in scripting a new growth narrative in the state, while highlighting the achievements of the State Government and various innovative measures adopted in economy, health, education and different other sectors.
7th International Tourism Mart started in Agartala
  • The seventh edition of The International Tourism Mart is organized by the Union Ministry of Tourism in association with the Department of Tourism of Tripura and other north-eastern states in Agartala.
  • The event facilitate interaction between buyers, sellers, media, government agencies and other stakeholders.
  • Engagement of business-to-business meetings with sellers from the north-eastern region which will enable the tourism product suppliers from the region to reach out to international and domestic buyers.
  • A total of 41 foreign delegates from 18 countries and 23 tour operators and travel agents along with 18 media representatives, journalists, travel writers and bloggers are participating in the event.

FACTFILE – International Tourism Mart

  • The International Tourism Mart, an annual event organized in the north-eastern region with the objective of highlighting the tourism potential of the region in the domestic and international markets.
  • It provides platform to tourism business fraternity and entrepreneurs from eight North Eastern States.
  • It organized annually in North Eastern States on rotation basis.
  • The earlier editions of this event were held in Guwahati, Tawang, Shillong, Gangtok and Imphal.
Sela Pass tunnel construction started in Arunachal Pradesh
  • Director General Border Roads (DGBR) Lt Gen Harpal Singh informed that the bhoomi puja for starting the construction work of a tunnel through the Sela Pass in Arunachal Pradesh would be held in January next year.
  • The tunnel located on the vicinity of the border between the Tawang and West Kameng districts at an elevation of 13,700 ft will ensure faster movement of troops in the strategically located parts of the state bordering China.
  • Significant achievement has been made on improving the 317-km-long Balipara-Charduar-Tawang (BCT) road to two-lane road, which is the lifeline of West Kameng and Tawang districts.
  • The DGBR informed that stretch from 0-50 km road has been completed and stretch from 70-88 km is being carried out on EPC mode.

FACTFILE – The Sela Pass

  • The Sela Pass (Se La) is a high-altitude mountain pass located on the border between the Tawang and West Kameng Districts of Arunachal Pradesh state in India.
  • It has an elevation of 4170 m (13,700 ft) and connects the Tibetan Buddhist town of Tawang to Dirang and Guwahati.
  • The pass carries the main road connecting Tawang with the rest of India.
  • The pass supports scarce amounts of vegetation and is usually snow-covered to some extent throughout the year.
  • Sela Lake, near the summit of the pass, is one of approximately 101 lakes in the area that are sacred in Tibetan Buddhism.
  • While Sela Pass does get heavy snowfall in winters, it is usually open throughout the year.
Union HRD Minister launched Innovation Cell for research
  • Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar launched the Institution’s Innovation Cell (IIC) at the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) to foster an attitude of research among students.
  • So far, more than 1,000 higher education institutes have already established IICs on their campuses to “promote innovation”.
  • After Independence we established research centres separately from the universities. This was a historical mismatch. In all developed countries universities act as research centres. And it can happen only there, he said.
CCEA approved continuation of “Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS)” scheme
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the continuation of its scheme “Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS)” which will provide improved weather, climate and ocean forecasts and services.
  • The Cabinet has approved the continuation of the nine sub-schemes of the umbrella scheme ‘ACROSS’ during 2017-2020 at an estimated cost of Rs 1,450 crore.
  • It will be implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences through its institutes namely India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service (INCOIS).

November 23

Assam singer Nahid Afrin appointed UNICEF ‘Youth Advocate’
  • Assam singer Nahid Afrin was appointed the first ever ‘Youth Advocate’ of UNICEF, which
  • aims to inspire and gather the support of India’s 253 million adolescents towards the cause of children and young people.
  • UNICEF’s association with Nahid Afrin is part of an initiative to advocate child rights in the northeast. As a youth advocate, she would act as a role model to inspire children and young people to act in making the world a better place and ensuring that their rights are respected.
  • Youth advocates support initiatives of positive change that include access to quality education, basic healthcare, ending violence against children, and addressing the issues of equity and inclusion.

BIOGRAPHY – Nahid Afrin

  • Nahid made her playback debut in the 2016 Bollywood film Akira.
  • She won the best female singer award in 2017 for the song Dhuniya Joon.
  • She also won an award in 2018 at the Assam State Film Awards.
Awards for Nagaland, Tripura at India Today State of State’s Survey
  • Nagaland awarded ‘Best Performing Small State’ in ‘Law & Order’ by the India Today State of State’s Survey 2018. Nagaland Minister for Forest, Environment, Climate Change and Parliamentary Affairs, C M Chang received the award from Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu.
  • Tripura bagged three prizes in inclusive development, infrastructure and overall most improved small state. Somya Gupta, Special Resident Commissioner of Tripura Bhavan at New Delhi, received the award.
Meghalaya gets India Today award for ‘most improved small State’ in agriculture
  • Meghalaya has been adjudged the ‘most improved small State’ in the category of agriculture in the India Today ‘The State of the States’ 2018 Survey.
  • The Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister Thomas A. Sangma received the India Today ‘The State of the States’ award on behalf of the State Government.
  • Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said, the govt have laid adequate thrust on improving agriculture in Meghalaya and such award will further motivate our officials and the farmers to take a quantum leap to ensure innovative and sustainable farming practices.
India and Laos review bilateral ties
  • India and Laos reviewed the entire gamut of their bilateral ties during the Ninth Joint Commission meeting co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Lao counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith.
  • The meeting reviewed the India-Lao PDR relations comprehensively and took note of all that has been achieved and current state of the various cooperation programmes.
  • The meeting also laid out the road map for future cooperation and enhancement in bilateral relations.
  • Laos is member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regional bloc with which New Delhi has been actively engaging under its Act East Policy.

FACTFILE – Laos

  • Laos, officially the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, is a socialist state and the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia at the heart of the Indochinese peninsula, bordered by Myanmar (Burma) and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southwest, and Thailand to the west and southwest.
  • Laos is a member of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), East Asia Summit and La Francophonie.
  • The capital and largest city is Vientiane.
  • Laos has been referred to as one of East Asia and Pacific’s Fastest Growing Economies by the World Bank, with annual GDP growth averaging 7.8% for the past decade.
India and China to hold border talks
  • India and China will discuss their vexed boundary dispute and try to sort out major issues at the 21st round of two-day border in the Chinese city of Chengdu.
  • The two countries, which fought a war in 1962 and have had several skirmishes since then along their largely undefined 3,488-km border, were locked in a 73-day military stand-off at Doklam, a contested region between China and Bhutan close to India’s arterial highway where the Chinese were building a road.
  • The two Asian giants are in a recovery mode and have seemingly made progress in their relationship, especially after the informal summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in April this year.
  • India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will hold the talks with China’s top diplomat and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Beijing’s new Special Representative on the boundary dispute.

FACTFILE – Sino-Indian border dispute

  • The Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the effective border between India and the People’s Republic of China.
  • It traverses 4,057 km along the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
  • The McMahon Line was part of the 1914 Simla Convention between British India and Tibet, an agreement rejected by China.
  • Areas of Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh are disputedly claimed by China also.
  • The 1962 Sino-Indian War was fought in both of these areas. An agreement to resolve the dispute was concluded in 1996, including “confidence-building measures” and a mutually agreed Line of Actual Control.
  • The 2017 China India border standoff or Doklam standoff refers to the military border standoff between the Indian Armed Forces and the People’s Liberation Army of China over Chinese construction of a road in Doklam near a trijunction border area, known as Donglang.
  • On 16 June 2017 Chinese troops with construction vehicles and road-building equipment began extending an existing road southward in Doklam, a territory which is claimed by both China as well as India’s ally Bhutan. On 18 June 2017, around 270 Indian troops, with weapons and two bulldozers, entered Doklam to stop the Chinese troops from constructing the road. On 28 August, both India and China announced that they had withdrawn all their troops from the face-off site in Doklam.

 

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