Tag: current affairs

Assam Current Affairs – August 01-03, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – August 01-03, 2022

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

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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

August 01-03, 2022

IIT Guwahati launches ICMR-DHR Centre of Excellence for biomedical device

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has established the ICMR-DHR Center of Excellence for Biomedical Device and Diagnostics Innovation and Commercialization.

The initiative will help in the technological needs of rural India with a focus on healthcare delivery to the last-mile population.

The key objectives of the ICMR Mission Secretariat at IIT Guwahati include: 

  • Detecting biomarkers using microfluidic and semiconductor nanobiosensors to detect various non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as chronic kidney disorder, post diabetic complications, liver or pancreatic malfunctions, cardiac illnesses, and urinary tract infections. 
  • Develop frugal point-of-care diagnostic devices for the collection, storage, security and analysis of the data specific to rural India. 
  • Develop three indigenous products in the domain of healthcare that can be commercially successful in the near future.
  • Innovate indigenous alternatives to healthcare devices (such as auto-analyzers and semi-auto analyzers) imported from other countries under the Government of India’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.

Arunachal Pradesh Inks Tripartite Pact for School Education Transformation

The government of Arunachal Pradesh government inked a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NITI Aayog and an organisation for a large-scale transformation in school education. 

The agreement was signed on the second anniversary of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

It is a three-year partnership (2022 – 25) agreement.

The MoU focuses on the enhancement of the learning outcome of students across 3,000 plus government schools in the state thereby, by reaching out to over two lakh children.

The MoU was signed in presence of Niti Aayog Education Advisor Dr. Prem Singh, state Education Commissioner Padmini Singla, ISSE state Project Director Pige Ligu, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Reach to Teach Foundation, Ratna Viswanathan, among others.

Chabahar Day Conference was launched in Mumbai

The Ministry of Port, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) in association with India Ports Global observed ‘Chabahar Day’ to mark the Chabahar – Link to International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) – Connecting Central Asian Markets in Mumbai. 

Union Shipping Minister Sarbanand Sonowal and Minister of State for Shipping Shripad Naik inaugurated the Chabahar Day conference in Mumbai.

Key Points

  • The inauguration event was attended by dignitaries from Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
  • In May 2016, India and Iran signed a bilateral agreement in which India would refurbish one of the berths at Shahid Beheshti port, and reconstruct a 600-meter-long container handling facility at the port.
  • In 2016, India, Iran and Afghanistan had inked a tripartite agreement for developing Chabahar port. They also agreed to set up a trilateral transport and transit corridor.
  • In October 2017, India sent the first shipment of wheat to Afghanistan via the Chabahar Port. 

About Chabahar Port

  • The Chabahar Port is located in southeastern Iran in the Gulf of Oman. 
  • It is the only Iranian port, having direct access to the Indian ocean.
  • It is considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries.
  • It consists of two separate ports named Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti. 
  • It is a key pillar of India’s Indo-Pacific vision to connect Eurasia with the Indian Ocean Region. 
  • The port will also be part of the International North-South Transport Corridor network connecting India. 

Third India-Vietnam Bilateral Army Exercise “Ex VINBAX 2022” begins in Haryana 

The 3rd edition of Vietnam-India Bilateral Army Exercise “Ex VINBAX 2022” is conducted at Chandimandir, Haryana from August 1 to 20, 2022.

The theme of Ex VINBAX – 2022 is the “Employment and deployment of an Engineer Company and a Medical Team as part of the United Nations Contingent for Peace Keeping Operations”.

Highlights of EX VINBAX 2022: 

  • It is a significant milestone of strengthening the bilateral relations between both the countries.
  • The exercise is a sequel to a previously conducted bilateral exercise in Vietnam in 2019. 
  • Vietnam is also an important partner in Act East policy of India as well as Indo-Pacific vision.
  • India and Vietnam share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and defence cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership.

Auguste Tano Kouame takes charge as World Bank Country Director for India

The World Bank has appointed Auguste Tano Kouamé as the Country Director for India. Auguste will serve for a period of five years and his term will come into effect from August 01, 2022.

He replaces Junaid Kamal Ahmad who recently completed a five-year term. 

Auguste served as the World Bank’s Country Director for the Republic of Türkiye, where he led the expansion of the Bank’s country program and deepened its support to Türkiye’s climate agenda. 

Prior to this, he served as Director of the Department of Human Development and Economic Management in the World Bank Group’s Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) from January 2017 to April 2019.

Vice – President Venkaiah Naidu presents President’s Colours to Tamil Nadu police

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu presented the President’s colour to the Tamil Nadu Police and  released a Special Cover to honour the occasion. The Tamil Nadu  police will be the first in Southern India to showcase the honour.

The President’s Colour is the highest honour given to the military, paramilitary and police forces of States and Union Territories in recognition of their exceptional service to the nation. 

The Indian Navy was the first Indian Armed Force to be awarded the President’s Colour by Dr. Rajendra Prasad in 1951. 

Shri Satyendra Prakash assumes charge as Principal Director General, Press Information Bureau

Shri Satyendra Prakash assumed charge as Principal Director General of Press Information Bureau (PIB). 

Prior to this Shri Prakash held the position of Principal DG, Central Bureau of Communication.

He is an Officer of the Indian Information Service, Batch of 1988. He has a wide experience in Central Government in the field of public communication, media management, administration, policy formulation and programme implementation. 

He has represented the Government of India in various national and international forums like UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP etc. He was recognized for his role in the presentation of the first ever tableau of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Republic Day in 2021 on the theme of Vocal for Local.

About Press Information Bureau

  • It is a nodal agency of the Government of India under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. 
  • It disseminates information to print, electronic and web media on government plans, policies, programme initiatives and achievements. 
  • It was established in June 1919. 
  • J. Natrajan became the first Indian to head the Bureau as Principal Information Officer in 1941.
  • The organisation’s name was changed to the Press Information Bureau in 1946. 
  • The Bureau has been reconstituted many times since independence of India in 1947.

Assam Current Affairs – July 25-27, 2022

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

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

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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

July 25-27, 2022

Government of Assam has approved a proposal for the creation of Barak Bhuvan Wildlife Sanctuary

The establishment of ‘Barak Bhuban Wildlife Sanctuary’ has been approved by the Governor – Prof Jagdish Mukhi. Assam’s Barak Valley will soon get a second wildlife sanctuary. 

The Governor of Assam is pleased to declare its intention to constitute the area described in the Schedule annexed hereto as the Barak Bhuban Wildlife Sanctuary. 

The Barak Bhuban Wildlife Sanctuary will be spread over an area of 320 sq km between the Barak river and the Sonai river. 

India designates five new Ramsar wetland sites

India has designated five new Ramsar sites, wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, also known as The Convention on Wetlands. 

Three wetlands are from Tamil Nadu, one from Mizoram and one from Madhya Pradesh. This takes the total number of Ramsar Sites in India to 54. Earlier, the number of Ramsar sites in India stood at 49.

5 New Ramsar Sites in India include; 

  1. Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu: It is a 61.21-hectare protected area located in Kancheepuram District of Tamil Nadu. It is located at a distance of 75 km from Chennai.
  2. Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest, Tamil Nadu: It is a freshwater marsh in Chennai. It is the only surviving wetland ecosystem in Chennai. It is counted among the last remaining natural wetlands of South India. 
  3. Pichavaram Mangrove, Tamil Nadu: It is located near Chidambaram in Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu. It covers an area of 1100 hectares and is counted among the largest mangrove forests in the country. 
  4. Pala wetland, Mizoram: It is the largest natural wetland in Mizoram. The wetland is surrounded by green woodlands. It is known for its rich diversity of animal species including several species of animals and birds. 
  5. Sakhya Sagar, Madhya Pradesh: This lake is an integral part of the beautiful ecology of the Madhav National Park in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh.

Ramsar Convention

  • The Ramsar convention is an intergovernmental environmental treaty,  named after Ramsar city in Iran on the Caspian Sea, where the treaty was signed. 
  • It was established by UNESCO on February 2, 1971.
  • The Ramsar convention came into force in 1975.
  • It provides for international cooperation and national action regarding conservation of wetlands and sustainable use of their resources. 
  • The Ramsar convention identifies wetlands of international importance across the globe, especially those that are home to diverse biodiversity.

Indermit Gill has been appointed as the Chief Economist of World Bank

The World Bank has appointed Indermit Gill as chief economist and senior vice-president for development economics at the multilateral development bank. 

He will be succeeding Cuban-American economist Carmen M. Reinhart. His appointment will be effective September 1, 2022. 

Indermit Gill is an Indian National, who is currently Vice President for Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions, where he led work on macroeconomics, trade, debt, poverty and governance.

Indermit Gill will be only the second Indian to serve as chief economist at the World Bank. Kaushik Basu was the first, having served in the job from 2012-2016.

India and Bangladesh signed agreement to curb trans-border crimes

India and Bangladesh signed an agreement to curb cross-border crime and launch necessary measures for ensuring peace and tranquillity across the border. 

Key Points

  • Both sides highlighted the importance of a coordinated border management plan in curbing the menace of smuggling contrabands such as narcotics, firearms, FICN, gold etc. 
  • They agreed on facilitating river bank protection works across the common bordering rivers, in line with approval given by the Joint River Commission. 
  • They agreed to remain cautious and steadfast in stopping smuggling through sharing real-time information and active anti-smuggling efforts. 
  • A wide range of issues like smuggling, trans-border crime, insurgent movement, narcotics, human trafficking and cattle lifting were discussed between officials of the two countries and both the parties agreed to take measures against such practices on their respective sides. 
  • Both the parties further agreed to launch public awareness programmes and developmental programmes across vulnerable areas for lowering down the number of incidents of assault and border crime. 

Gujarat will host the 36th National Games 

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat State Government and the Gujarat Olympic Association (GOA) for the joint conduct of the 36th National Games, Gujarat 2022. 

The last edition of the National Games was the 35th edition which was held in Kerala. 

The National Games were first held in Lahore, British India, in 1924.

Key Points

The 36th edition of the National Games will be held in Gujarat between 27 September to 10 October 2022.

The National Games 2022 will be held across 6 cities in Gujarat, viz., Gandhinagar, Surat, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara, and Bhavnagar.

Statue of Unity of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Gir Asiatic Lion are logo for the 36th National Game 2022.

Indigenous sports such as kabaddi, kho-kho, mallakhamb and yogasana have also been included in the National Games programme.

IMF reduces GDP forecast of India to 7.4% for FY23

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reduced India’s growth forecast for 2022-23 (FY23) by 80 basis points to 7.4 per cent from 8.2% citing less favourable external conditions and rapid policy tightening by the central bank.

The IMF also cut the global growth outlook and warned that the world may soon be on the brink of a recession. Global economic expansion will likely slow to 3.2% this year, slower than the 3.6% forecast by the fund in April. 

Moreover, the multilateral lender cut the country’s growth forecast to 6.1 per cent for the financial year 2023-2024.

The IMF also cut global growth forecasts, warning that downside risks from high inflation and the Ukraine war were materialising and could push the world economy to the brink of recession if left unchecked. 

China’s growth is estimated to slow to 3.3% in 2022 from 4.4% estimated earlier by the IMF. 

Other emerging markets and developing economies, including Russia, South Africa, and Brazil, saw an upward revision in their economic forecasts on improved outlook. The IMF also cut the global growth outlook and warned that the world may soon be on the brink of a recession.

Global economic expansion will likely slow to 3.2% this year, slower than the 3.6% forecast by the fund in April.

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs – July 22-24, 2022

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

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

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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

 

July 22-24, 2022

Burhanpur becomes country’s first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ certified district

Burhanpur district of Madhya Pradesh became the first Certified ‘Har Ghar Jal’ district in the Country. 

Burhanpur district has achieved the unprecedented and proud achievement of providing tap-pure drinking water to every household through jal jeevan mission.

All the 254 villages of Burhanpur district are being supplied with water from the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ scheme. These villages have been certified ‘Every House Water’.

Accordingly, it certifies that all people in the villages have access to safe drinking water through taps, ensuring that ‘No One is Left Out’. 

Indian Antarctic Bill 2022 passed by Parliament

Recently, Parliament passed the Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022. The bill was passed with a voice vote after a brief discussion amid protests by the opposition members.

The bill aims to demilitarise Antarctica; use of Antarctica for peaceful purposes; promote international scientific cooperation in Antarctica. 

The Bill seeks to give effect to the Antarctic Treaty, the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, and the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty.

Key Features of the bill

  • Prohibit Indian expedition to Antarctica without permit or written authorisation of another party to Antarctic Treaty. 
  • Extend jurisdiction of Indian courts to Antarctica and lays out penal provision for crimes on the continent by Indian citizens, foreign citizens who are part of Indian expeditions. 
  • The act directs creating a fund called the Antarctic fund that will be used for protecting the Antarctic environment. 
  • The Bill also establishes a ‘Committee on Antarctic Governance and Environmental Protection.’ Prohibits mining, dredging and activities that threaten the pristine conditions of the continent.

India’s Antarctic Programme 

  • Dakshin Gangotri– 1983-84: It was the first Indian scientific research base station. It is located at a distance of 2,500 kilometres from the South Pole. 
  • Maitri– 1988: It is located in an ice-free, rocky area on the Schirmacher Oasis. 
  • Bharati- 2015: It is located beside Larsmann Hill, between Thala Fjord & Quilty bay, about 3000 km east of Maitri.

Henley Passport Index 2022

Henley Passport Index 2022 was recently published by immigration consultancy Henley & partners. 

India has been ranked at 87th position with visa-free access to 60 countries.  

Ranking was based on the number of destinations the passport holders could access without prior visa. 

Japan has the world’s most powerful passport, followed by Singapore and South Korea, as per Henley Passport Index 2022.

Japan’s passport provides entry to 193 countries without a prior visa. On the other hand, Singapore and South Korea allows hassle-free entry to 192 countries.

About Henley Passport Index 

  • It is a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom enjoyed by holders of that country’s ordinary passport for its citizens.
  • It started in 2006 as Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index (HVRI) and was modified and renamed in January 2018.
  • The index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which maintains the world’s largest and most accurate database of travel information. 
  • The index covers 227 destinations and 199 passports.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveils India’s first Passenger Drone “Varuna”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unveiled Varuna, India’s first passenger drone. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently watched the demonstration of India’s first passenger drone, Varuna and asserted that the current government has ensured last-mile delivery of services with the help of technology, including drones. 

About ‘Varuna’ drone

  • This ‘Varuna’ drone has been designed and developed by a startup and has the capacity to carry one person inside.
  • This drone has been designed and developed by a startup ‘Sagar Defence Engineering’.
  • Varuna, India’s first drone that can carry human pay-load has a range of 25 km. 
  • The passenger drone can carry 130 kg payload and has 25-33 minutes of flight time.

Dinesh Gunawardena was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka

Dinesh Gunawardena was appointed as the 15th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka by President Ranil Wickremesinghe. 

He succeeds former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected as Sri Lanka’s President by Parliament.

Gunawardena, parliamentarian of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party, took his oath in the capital Colombo in the presence of other senior legislators.

Along with Prime Ministership, Gunawardena has additional charge of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Council, and Local Government.

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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

Assam Current Affairs – July 19-21, 2022

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

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

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 315: July 2022, Week 3 | Watch Quiz Video

July 19-21, 2022

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched ‘Swanirbhar Naari’ scheme

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched ‘Swanirbhar Naari’, a scheme to empower indigenous weavers in Assam’s Guwahati. 

Key Points

  • The state government will procure handloom items directly from indigenous weavers without involving any middlemen through a specially developed Swanirbhar Naari web portal.
  • The scheme will be implemented with the help of ARTFED and AGMC under the administrative control of the Director, Handloom Textiles, Assam.
  • 31 Hand woven items are covered in the scheme belonging to various communities residing in the state.
  • The scheme will help in preserving the heritage of handlooms and textiles in the state.
  • It is expected that the portal will bridge the gap in between the weavers and the buyers. 

Draupadi Murmu has been elected as the 15th President of India

Draupadi Murmu has been elected as the 15th President of India. She contested against Yashwant Sinha, the joint opposition’s nominee. 

She becomes India’s first woman tribal president from Rairangpur in the Mayurbhanj district in Odisha and also the second woman to hold the post after Pratibha Patil.

National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by BJP picked Draupadi Murmu for the Presidential Election. 

India Innovation Index 2021

The India Innovation Index 2021 has been recently released by the Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog, Shri Suman Bery, in the presence of Dr. V K Saraswat, Member; Shri Parameswaran Iyer, Chief Executive Officer and other esteemed dignitaries.

Key Points

  • Karnataka has topped Niti Aayog’s India Innovation Index 2021 with a score of 18.05 followed by Telangana and Haryana, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. 
  • Manipur secured the lead in the Northeast and Hill States category followed by Uttarakhand and Meghalaya.
  • Chandigarh was the top performer in the Union Territories and City States category follwed by Delhi and Andaman and Nicobar.
  • Bihar, Odisha and Chhattisgarh scored the lowest on the index.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa assures govt jobs for National Games Medalists

The Assam State Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has assured jobs for all National Games medalists of Assam from now on. 

The Chief Minister mentioned that all those who won medals in National Games so far for Assam would be given Sports Pension by the State Government. He hoped that this decision would help the sportspersons of the state.

He also mentioned that all those who won medals in National Games so far for Assam would be given Sports Pension by the State Government. 

The Chief Minister also announced that the house would send a goodwill message to boxer Lovlina Borgohain who will be vying for a medal in the Tokyo Olympics. 

Rajasthan introduces India’s first digital Lok Adalat

National Legal Services Authority Chairman Uday Umesh Lalit launches India’s First AI-powered, end-to-end digital Lok Adalat in Rajasthan.

The Digital Lok Adalat will help in disposing off the pending disputes or disputes which are at the pre-litigation stage. This platform will provide end-to-end dispute resolution with easy drafting & filing of applications.

Key Points

  • The AI-based Lok Adalat was launched during the 18th All India Legal Services Authorities’ Meet. 
  • The digital Lok Adalat has been designed and developed by the technology partner Jupitice Justice Technologies of Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RSLSA 22).
  • The oldest pending case in the nation was recently resolved by a district court in Bihar after 108 years of deliberation. As per NITI Aayog report, it would take around 324 years to dispose of all current pending cases in the country.
  • NITI Aayog report further states that, 75% to 97% of justiciable problems do not reach to the Courts.

PV Sindhu won the Singapore Open title 2022

India’s Olympic medalist PV Sindhu won the Singapore Open 2022 title. She beat China’s Wang Zhiyi by 21-9, 11-21, 21-15 in the final of the Singapore Open.

This is Sindhu’s first 500 title, since she won the world championship in 2019. This is also the first 500 title or better final for the year 2022.

She had won the women’s singles title at the Syed Modi International tournament in January and Swiss Open 2022 in March 2022.

Singapore Open 

  • The Singapore Open is a badminton event that has been held in Singapore annually since 1929. 
  • The Badminton World Federation categorized Singapore Open as one of the seven BWF World Tour Super 500 events in the BWF events structure from 2018.
  • In 2023, the tournament will be upgraded to a Super 750 event.
  • In 1929 the tournament was organised by Singapore Badminton Association, which was created to promote sport and organise the competition. 
  • The tournament became an open invitation championship in 1960. In 2007, the tournament became a part of the BWF Super Series event.

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 315: July 2022, Week 3 | Watch Quiz Video

Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs – July 16-18, 2022

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

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

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 315: July 2022, Week 3 | Watch Quiz Video

July 16-18, 2022

Tripura government launched ‘Earn with Learn’ Scheme

The Tripura government has launched a new scheme named ‘Earn with Learn’ as a part of the ‘Vidyalaya Chalo Abhiyan’ (Let’s go to school) to bring back those who had dropped out of schools following the outbreak of Covid-19.

About 9,000 students between the age group of 6 to14 had dropped out of school during the pandemic.

The scheme would involve third-year students from all colleges in conducting surveys to detect dropouts across classes.

Under the Earn with Learn scheme, each volunteer will be given ₹500 if they enroll a dropout student in the same school. Anganwadi teachers will assist the volunteers to make sure the programme is a success.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) established its first mountain warfare training school established in North East 

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has created its first mountain-warfare training centre in northeast India in Dombang, Sikkim. 

It is ITBP’s second training centre in the country, to skill its troops in high-altitude combat and survival tactics as part of their mandate to guard the Line of Actual Control with China. 

The first such school-Mountaineering and skiing institute (M&SI) is at Joshimath, in the Himalayan ranges of Uttarakhand.

As per a senior ITBP officer, the Sikkim training centre was conceptualised to improve the ability to train newly recruited and serving troops in mountain warfare, rock climbing, high-altitude survival, and patrol even though the need for a second facility beyond Auli had long been felt given the rising level of engagement of its troops with the Chinese PLA in recent years.

About the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)

  • The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was established in 1962 in the aftermath of the Sino-Indian War of 1962.
  • It is India’s primary border patrol organization for its border with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region. 
  • It is trained in the Civil Medical Camp, disaster management, and nuclear, biological and chemical disasters. 
  • It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of India. 

PM Modi addresses first ever I2U2 virtual summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the first virtual I2U2 Summit. The I2U2 is a four-nation grouping, India-Israel-UAE-USA. 

PM Modi was joined by United States President Joe Biden, Israeli PM Yair Lapid and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Key Points

  • I2U2 grouping was conceptualized during the meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries held on October 18 2021. 
  • I2U2 is working to increase investments in the fields of water, energy, environment, health and space. 
  • It will bring together countries, governments and the private sector to tackle challenges. 
  • The Prime Minister said that I2U2 has set a positive agenda from the very first summit and by combining the skills of the nations, they can come together for the good of humanity. 
  • He expressed confidence that with I2U2, a significant contribution will be made toward Energy Security, Food Security and Economic Growth globally. They will work towards ensuring food security and propelling development initiatives globally. 

Union Education Minister Releases India Rankings 2022 of higher educational institutes

The Union Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan released the India Rankings 2022. 

According to the Ministry of Education’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2022. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, topped the higher educational institute in the country followed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and IIT Bombay. 

This is the seventh consecutive edition of NIRF. 

Key Highlights of the Report

  • Indian Institute of Technology Madras retains its first position in Overall Category for the fourth consecutive year and in Engineering for seventh consecutive year. 
  • Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru tops the Universities Category for seventh consecutive year. It stood first in the Research Institutions Category for the second consecutive year. 
  • IIM Ahmedabad tops in Management subject retaining its first position for third consecutive year. 
  • All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi occupies the top slot in Medical for the fifth consecutive year. AIIMS is ranked at 9th position in the Overall category for the first time. 
  • Jamia Hamdard tops the ranking in Pharmacy for the fourth consecutive year. 
  • Miranda House retains the 1st position amongst Colleges for the sixth consecutive year. 
  • IIT Roorkee stands at 1st position in Architecture subject for second consecutive year. 
  • National Law School of India University, Bengaluru retains its first position in Law for the fifth consecutive year. 
  • Colleges in Delhi dominate ranking of colleges with five colleges out of first 10 colleges from Delhi
  • The Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences takes the top slot for the first time in Dental Subject displacing Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal.

Department of Consumer Affairs launches ‘Jagriti’, a mascot to empower consumers and generate awareness towards consumer rights 

The Department of Consumer Affairs has launched “Jagriti”, a mascot for empowering consumers and generating awareness of their rights.

It aims to strengthen its consumer awareness campaign presence in digital and multimedia and reinforce a young empowered and informed consumer as a top-of-mind consumer rights awareness recall brand. 

Jagriti mascot shall be shown along with the tagline “Jago Grahak Jago” in all its media campaigns.

About Jagriti mascot 

  • Jagriti mascot will be projected as an empowered consumer who is spreading awareness about consumer rights and addressing solutions to the problems faced by the consumers.
  • It will be used to generate consumer awareness about various themes of the Department. 

The Themes include: 

  • Provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 2019
  • Hallmarking
  • National Consumer Helpline toll-free number 1915
  • Provisions of the weights and measures Act
  • Decisions of the Central Consumer Protection Authority
  • Testimonials by consumers on grievance redressal

Ashish Kumar Chauhan appointed as new the MD and CEO of National Stock Exchange of India

Ashish Kumar Chauhan appointed as the new CEO and Managing Director of National Stock Exchange (NSE). 

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) approved his appointment to the post. 

Chauhan replaced Vikram Limaye, whose five-year tenure ended on July 15.

Ashish Kumar Chauhan is one of the founders of the National Stock Exchange. He had worked at NSE from 1992 to 2000. He had set up India’s first fully automated screen-based trading system and first commercial satellite communications network while working at NSE.

INS Sindhudhvaj decommissioned after 35 years of service

INS Sindhudhvaj has decommissioned after 35 years of glorious service to the nation. Vice Adm Biswajit Dasgupta Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command was the Chief Guest for the ceremony.

The submarine crest depicts a grey colour nurse shark and the name means flag bearer at sea. Sindhudhvaj was the flag bearer of indigenization and the Indian Navy’s efforts towards achieving Atmanirbharta in the Russian-built Sindhughosh class submarines throughout her journey in the navy.

Sindhudhvaj, was one of the 10 Kilo class submarines India acquired from Russia between 1986 and 2000. INS Sindhurakshak was lost in an accident in Mumbai harbour in August 2013, while Sindhuvir was transferred to Myanmar in 2020, making it the Southeast Asian nation’s first underwater platform.

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 315: July 2022, Week 3 | Watch Quiz Video

Assam Current Affairs – July 13-15, 2022

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

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

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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

July 13-15, 2022

Government of Assam and Arunachal sign ‘Namsai Declaration’ to resolve vexed boundary dispute 

The Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma inked the ‘Namsai Declaration’ for resolving the vexed inter-state boundary dispute between the two states.

The declaration was signed by the two chief ministers in the presence of several cabinet ministers of both states.

Key Points

  • The Chief Minister of both the states agreed in principle on restricting the number of contested villages to 86 instead of 123. Of the 123 disputed villages, a consensus has been reached on 37 and 86 others are left. 
  • According to the Namsai Declaration’, both the Chief ministers agreed that out of the 37 disputed villages, 28 which are within the constitutional boundary of Arunachal Pradesh shall remain with the state while, three villages on which claims were withdrawn by Arunachal Pradesh, will be with Assam.
  • Six other villages which could not be located on the Assam side would also remain with the frontier state if they exist in Arunachal Pradesh, the agreement stated. 
  • Both the states have agreed to form 12 regional committees to resolve the border issues. These committees will submit their report on 15th September. The draft MoU will be referred to the union government for its approval.

Mizoram has the highest ratio of women working as legislators and managers

As per the latest additional data of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for July 2020-June 2021, Mizoram has the highest proportion of women workers working as legislators, senior officials and managers, followed by Sikkim and Manipur.

In Mizoram, there was a 70.9% ratio of female-to-male workers who were working as legislators, senior officials and managers. Sikkim with 48.2% and Manipur at 45.1%, Meghalaya at 44.8% Andhra Pradesh recorded 43%. 

The other northeastern state among Assam had 16.1% while Nagaland had a ratio of 9.1%.

Among the larger states and Union Territories with a low ratio were Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Punjab and Andaman and Nicobar. Dadra Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu had the lowest ratio of 1.8%.

In terms of senior managerial jobs, Mizoram again topped the charts with 40.8%, followed by Sikkim with 32.5 and Meghalaya at 31%. Andhra Pradesh with a ratio of 30.4%. 

Bonn Global Biodiversity Conclave 2022

Bonn Global Biodiversity Conclave is being organised in Bonn, Germany. This conclave is mainly focusing on sustainable use of wild species. 

Assessment on the Sustainable Use of Wild Species report will be published at the 9th conference of Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

New Assessment on the Sustainable Use of Wild Species report 

  • It will incorporate the details on diverse uses of wild species and practices that are connected with them, these practices include, Gathering, Logging, Fishing, observing and Terrestrial animal harvesting (shearing and hunting). 
  • It will investigate what ‘sustainable use’ implies and how it is associated with United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals. 
  • Authors of the report will also look after tools and methods to assess, measure and manage the sustainable use of wild species. 
  • They will also read about the effectiveness of policy options, in order to govern the sustainable use of wild species in a better manner. Such policies include trade & incentives, and governance. 
  • They would also highlight why and for whom the sustainable use of wild species is unavoidable. 
  • Report will also explore the links between sustainable use of wild species and challenges associated with it, including climate change & land use.

India’s first floating terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Maharashtra

India’s first Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) has arrived at H-Energy’s Jaigarh Terminal in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, on the west coast of India. 

The port is the first deep water, 24×7 operational private port in Maharashtra. This will be the first year-round Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal in Maharashtra. 

Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) based LNG Terminals aims at providing the ability to enhance the pace of natural gas import capability in an environment friendly and efficient manner.

Key Points 

  • The LNG terminal  built in 2017, has a storage capacity of 170,000 cubic metres and installed regasification capacity of 750 million cubic feet per day. 
  • Höegh Giant will deliver regasified LNG to the 56-km long Jaigarh-Dabhol natural gas pipeline, thereby connecting the LNG terminal to the national gas grid.
  • The facility is capable of reloading LNG onto small-scale LNG vessels for bunkering services and delivering LNG through truck loading facilities for onshore distribution.
  • H-Energy plans to further develop small-scale LNG markets in the region and use the floating storage and regasification unit for storage and reloading LNG onto smaller vessels.

NASA released James Webb Space Telescope’s first images

National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) released James Webb Space Telescope’s first images in a preview event at the White House in Washington. 

This first image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date. 

Key points

  • It is a joint venture of NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency. 
  • Thousands of galaxies including the faintest objects ever observed in the infrared have appeared in Webb’s view for the first time. 
  • The James Webb Space telescope first photo covers a patch of sky that is approximately the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length by someone on the ground.
  • It is a composite made from images at different wavelengths, totaling 12.5 hours.
  • The first images from the James Webb Space Telescope achieves depths at infrared wavelengths beyond the Hubble Space Telescope’s deepest fields, which took weeks.
  • It will be able to study Old and distant galaxies, which is not currently possible with Hubble. 
  • It will show images from 250 million years after the Big Bang- taking us closer to the starting point of the Universe.

India ranks 135 in the Global Gender Gap Index 2022

Recently, the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked India at 135 out of 146 countries in its Global Gender Gap (GGG) Index for 2022. 

In 2021, India was ranked 140 out of 156 countries. India’s overall score has improved from 0.625 (in 2021) to 0.629.

About Global Gender Gap Report

  • The Global Gender Gap Index is an index designed to measure gender equality.
  • It was first published in 2006 by the World Economic Forum. 
  • It assesses countries on how well they are dividing their resources and opportunities among their male and female populations, regardless of the overall levels of these resources and opportunities.
  • It is an index designed to measure gender equality by tracking progress towards closing gender gaps over time.
  • The Global Gender Gap index “benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions– 
  • Economic Participation and Opportunity, 
  • Educational Attainment, 
  • Health and Survival, and
  • Political Empowerment.

India’s Performance on Global Gender Gap Index 2022

  • Economic Participation and Opportunity: India ranks 143 out of the 146 countries. (In 2021, India was pegged at 151 out of the 156 countries.)
  • Educational Attainment: India ranks 107th out of 146. (In 2021, India was ranked 114 out of 156.)
  • Health and Survival: India ranks 146 in health and survival
  • Political Empowerment: India ranks the highest (48th out of 146). 

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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

Assam Current Affairs – July 10-12, 2022

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – July 10-12 2022

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

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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July 10-12, 2022

Mangarh Hillock to be declared monument of national importance

The National Monuments Authority submitted a report on declaring  Mangarh hillock in Rajasthan as a monument of National Importance. 

About Mangarh Hillock 

  • The hillock, situated at the Gujarat-Rajasthan border, is a site of a tribal uprising where a massacre of over 1500 Bhil tribal freedom fighters took place in 1913. 
  • The place is also known as the Adivasi Jallianwala, and there has been a demand to build a memorial.
  • Bhil social reformer and spiritual leader Govind Guru first raised the demand for a separate state for tribals back in 1913 after the Mangarh massacre.

National Monuments Authority (NMA) 

  • It was established under the Ministry of Culture in accordance with the requirements of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains AMASR (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010. 
  • The NMA has been delegated specific tasks for the conservation and preservation of monuments and sites, including control of the banned and restricted areas surrounding centrally designated monuments.
  • One amongst these responsibilities of NMA is also to consider grant of permissions to applicants for construction related activity in the prohibited and regulated area.

36th National Games to be held in Gujarat

Gujarat Chief Minister, Bhupendra Patel declared that the 36th National Games will be held in his state.

This will be the first time the state will host the prestigious games, between September 27 and October 10, 2022.

Key Points

  • In both indoor and outdoor competitions, athletes from all over the nation are anticipated to display their prowess in sports including athletics, hockey, football, volleyball, lawn tennis, table tennis, judo, wrestling, kabaddi, kho-kho, mallakhambha, and yoga. 
  • There will be more than 34 sports represented at the national games, which will take place in six cities.
  • Goa was another strong candidate for the location this year, in addition to Gujarat. 

India got elected to to the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

India has been elected as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for the 2022-2026. 

The elections for the Intergovernmental Committee took place during the 9th General Assembly of the 2003 Convention held at UNESCO headquarters, Paris, from 5th to 7th July 2022.

This is for the third timeIndia got selected. In the past, India has served two terms as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of this Convention viz., during 2006-2010 and 2014-2018.

UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage 

  • The Intergovernmental Committee of the 2003 Convention consists of 24 members and is elected in the General Assembly of the Convention according to the principles of equitable geographical representation and rotation. 
  • States Members to the Committee are elected for a term of four years.
  • Some of the core functions of the Intergovernmental Committee include: 
  • Promoting the objectives of the Convention, 
  • Providing guidance on best practices, and 
  • Making recommendations on measures for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. 
  • The Committee also examines requests submitted by States Parties for the inscription of intangible heritage on the Lists as well as proposals for programmes and projects.

India’s vision for 2022-2026 

Some of the priority areas that India will focus upon include: 

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

About Intangible Cultural Heritage

  • Intangible cultural heritage is the practices, expressions, knowledge and skills that communities, groups and sometimes individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage. 
  • UNESCO established its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the aim of ensuring better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance. 
  • The list was established in 2008 when the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage took effect.
  • India has 14 intangible cultural heritage elements on the prestigious UNESCO Representative List of ICH of Humanity.

Google  announced the launch of Startup School India

Google announced the launch of Startup School India (SSI) as part of the Google for Startups initiative. This programme will be held in virtual mode, for nine-weeks, which will include fireside chats between Google collaborators and leaders from the start-up ecosystem.

Key Points

  • The idea of creating the Startup School India is to reach out to more and more startups in India. 
  • Google aims to reach out to at least 10,000 startups in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
  • This is a platform under which Google will bring together investors, successful entrepreneurs and programmers that startups from the smaller cities can to tap into and learn from the best. 
  • The Google Start-up School India initiative will cover topics including fintech, language, job search, social media & networking, business-to-consumer e-commerce and business-to-business e-commerce.

RK Gupta appointed as Deputy Election Commissioner

Senior bureaucrat R K Gupta was appointed as the deputy election commissioner. He comes in place of T Sreekanth. 

Gupta, a Central Secretariat Service (CSS) officer, will serve as deputy election commissioner (Joint secretary level) till 28 February next year, the date of his superannuation, an order issued by the Personnel Ministry said.

Currently, Chief Election Commissioner of India is Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner is Anup Chandra Pandey 

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Ministry of Panchayati Raj signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the elimination of Tuberculosis (TB) by the year 2025

Inter-Ministerial cooperation and collaboration between the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj would focus on creating awareness at grassroots level through active involvement and would also support a range of possible collaborative activities towards the eventual eradication of TB from India by 2025.

It will also make ways for coordinated efforts at grassroots level, in order to generate awareness among mass in rural areas to end stigma and discrimination related to the Tuberculosis. 

It will also help in potentially utilizing the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) or Rural Local Bodies in eliminating TB in the country. 

About Tuberculosis 

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which usually attacks the lungs, but can attack any part of the body. 

It is a communicable disease which is spread from person to person through the air. 

Cough with sputum and blood at times, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats are some common symptoms. 

It is curable and preventable, however, bacteria have become resistant to various strains of antibiotic leading multiple drug-resistant TB which is difficult to treat.

Alvaro lario has been appointed as the new chairman of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IAFD)

Alvaro lario has been appointed as the new chairman of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) with effect from 1st October 2022 for a four-year term. 

He will succeed Gilbert Houngbo who has led the organisation since 2017. 

He will lead the UN agency at a crucial time when global food prices are surging, induced by the Ukraine war, climate change, and the pandemic, with the World’s poorest countries hardest hit.

About International Fund for Agricultural Development (IAFD)

  • It is an international financial institution and a specialised agency of the United Nations that works to address poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries. 
  • It is the only multilateral development organization that focuses on rural economies, food security and climate change.
  • It was founded in 1977. 
  • Headquartered in Rome, Italy. 
  • It funds and sponsors initiatives that improve land and water management, develop rural infrastructure, train and educate farmers in more efficient technologies, build up resilience against climate change, enhance market accessibility etc.
  • It works in partnership with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 

 

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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

Assam Current Affairs – July 07-09, 2022

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

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

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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

July 07-09, 2022

Maryna Viazovska Wins Prestigious Fields Medal 2022

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

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

About Fields Medal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About TiHAN 

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

Kharchi festival begins in Tripura 

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

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

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

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

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

India elected to UNESCO panel on Intangible Cultural Heritage

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

Key Points

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

Functions of the Intergovernmental Committee

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

India’s Vision

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

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

Amitabh Kant appointed as G20 Sherpa 

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

Key Points

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

 

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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

Assam Current Affairs – July 04-06, 2022

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

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

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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

July 04-06, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About the festival

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

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

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

Key Points

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

About National Food Security Act (NFSA) 

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

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

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

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

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

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

States’ Start-up Ranking 2021 released 

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

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

Key Points

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

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

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

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

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

States’ Startup Ranking 2021 Results

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

Michelle Poonawalla bags the coveted Shiromani Award

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

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

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

Shiromani Award 

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

 

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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Assam Current Affairs – July 01-03, 2022

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

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

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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

July 01-03, 2022

NITI Aayog and World Food Program Releases Report

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

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

Key Points

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

Recommendations made by the report: 

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

About World Food Program

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

India’s Largest Floating Solar Power Project Commissioned

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

Key Points

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

Benefits of this project

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

World Cities Report 2022

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

Key Points

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

About UN-Habitat

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

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

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

Objectives

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

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

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

ISRO launches PSLV-C53 satellites 

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

Key Points 

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

Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2022

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

Provisions of Forest (conservation) Rules 2022 

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

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

Sini Shetty crowned Femina Miss India 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Financial Action Task Force

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

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Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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