Tag: December current affairs 2022

Assam Current Affairs – December 07-09, 2022

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

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

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December 07-09, 2022

Assam’s Nayanmoni Saikia receives Arjuna Award

Assam’s Nayanmoni Saikia was conferred with the Arjuna Award at Rashtrapati Bhawan by President Draupadi Murmu.

Nayanmoni Saikia was nominated for the award for her achievements in Lawn Bowl.

Apart from Nayanmoni Saikia, Shushila Devi from Manipur was also presented with the prestigious award for her remarkable contributions and achievements in the field of boxing. 

Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sharma congratulated Commonwealth Games gold medalist Nayanmoni Saikia for receiving Arjuna Award, 2022 from Hon’ble President Droupadi Murmu.

Mirabai Chanu won silver medal in World Championship 2022 

Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has won a silver medal at the weightlifting World Championships in Bogota, Colombia. 

Mirabai won a silver medal at the World Championships with a total lift of 200kg. China’s Jiang Huihua, who won the gold with a total effort of 206kg (93kg+113kg) while Tokyo Olympics champion Hou Zhihua who won the bronze with a total effort of198kg (89kg+109kg).

Mirabai had previously won gold in the 2017 world weightlifting championship. This was Mirabai’s second medal at the World Championships. 

Tripura gets its first Film and Television Institute 

Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha inaugurated Tripura’s first film and television institute at Nazrul Kalakshetra in Agartala.

The institute has been set up in collaboration with Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI). 

This film Institute will promote Tripura’s rich cultural heritage in the global sphere. It will help the youths of the state to nurture their cultural talents and will also help to improve the socio-economic condition of the youths.

The state government has allocated Rs 5.76 crore for the institute. Four short-term courses, including screen acting, film appreciation, production, and management along with news reporting, anchoring and newsroom automation would be started initially.

India ranked 87th in the world’s strongest passport list for 2022

India has been ranked 87 in the world’s strongest passport list for 2022, published by Arton Capital. 

Passport Index 2022 published by Arton Capital ranked the world’s strongest and weakest passports.

Key Points

  • The Passport Index is based on the 139 members of the United Nations and 6 different aspects have been considered to make this list.
  • UAE ranked first in the rating of passports for 2022 followed by Germany, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Spain and France.
  • Travellers with UAE passports can travel visa-free or “visa on arrival” to 180 countries.
  • Countries with the weakest passports are Afghanistan (38) Syria (39), Iraq (40), Pakistan (44).
  • The data for this list has been given by the governments of different countries. 

Indian-American Krishna Vavilala receives US Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award

Indian-American Krishna Vavilala receives the US Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to his community and the country.

The Presidential Lifetime Achievement (PLA) Awards, led by AmeriCorps, is an annual event held to honour citizens, who exhibit outstanding character, worth ethic, and dedication to their communities.

Krishna Vavilala is from Andhra Pradesh and is a retired Electrical Engineer. Currently, he is the founder and Chairman of the Foundation for India Studies (FIS), a non-profit organization whose major project, the Indo-American Oral History Project, won the Mary Fay Barnes Award for Excellence.

He has also received several awards and accolades from various organizations, such as the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston, the Indo-American Press Club, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the India Culture Centre.

Oxford dictionary announces ‘goblin mode’ as word of the year 2022

The Oxford English Dictionary recently announces ‘goblin mode’ as word of the year 2022 that was selected by public votes – Goblin mode.

It’s the first time Oxford Languages opened up its annual word of the year listing to a public vote. 

Goblin mode is a slang term that describes a type of behavior that is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, generally rejecting social norms and expectations.

The word goblin mode is used to acknowledge that individuals are not always idealized, curated selves that they force themselves to present in social media platforms.

The term speaks to the current times when people are embracing their inner goblin and choosing to reject the accepted social customs.

American dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster has chosen “gaslighting” as its word of the year for 2022.

Assam Current Affairs – December 04-06, 2022

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

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December 04-06, 2022

Silchar-Sylhet Festival 

The first ever  Silchar-Sylhet Festival, organized to celebrate the cultural ties between the Barak Valley region of Assam and the Sylhet segment of Bangladesh.

Key Points

  • Assam’s Silchar town is hosting the two-day Silchar-Sylhet Festival, to celebrate the linguistic and cultural ties between the Barak Valley region of Assam and the Sylhet segment of Bangladesh. 
  • Silchar-Sylhet Festival is organised by the India Foundation.
  • The Festival coincides with the 75th year of India’s independence and the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan.
  • The festival underlines the commonalities between India and Bangladesh, specifically the Sylheti variant of the Bengali language and the Sylheti culture. 
  • The festival will showcase tribal culture, cuisine, arts, crafts and local produce, entertainment and bring together eminent people from both sides to discuss and deliberate on issues of mutual growth and opportunity.

Indo-French Partnership on Kaziranga Project

India and France are collaborating under the Kaziranga Project in the Kaziranga National Park in Assam.

The Kaziranga project is a part of a larger Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC) for which the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) has committed funding of €80.2 million for a 10-year period, between 2014-2024.

The project conceptualised the reforestation of 33,500 hectares of land and the training of 10,000 community members in alternate livelihoods by 2024. 

The Assam government, with the support of AFD, launched the APFBC in 2012, to restore forest ecosystems, protect wildlife and enhance the livelihood of the forest-dependent communities.

About Kaziranga National Park

  • Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam.
  • It is the single largest undisturbed and representative area in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain. 
  • It was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1950, and notified as Kaziranga National Park in 1974.
  • It is the home of the world’s most one-horned rhinos. 
  • In 1985, Kaziranga was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its unique natural environment.
  • It is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for conservation of avifaunal species.

India ranked 48th position in the global aviation safety ranking

India ranked 48th position in the global aviation safety ranking by the International Civil Aviation Organization. 

India was in the 102nd position four years ago in the ranking.The position is the highest-ever spot attained by the country. 

Key Points

  • In the ranking, Singapore is at the top, followed by the UAE and South Korea at the second and third positions.
  • As per Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the audit was conducted in the areas of legislation, organisation, personal licensing, operations, airworthiness and aerodromes.
  • India’s score in terms of effective implementation of key safety elements has improved to 85.49%.
  • India’s score for civil aviation organizations increased from 63.64% to 72.73 %, aircraft operations from 80.34% to 97.44%, personnel licensing and training from 25.58% to 84.71%, and aerodrome and ground aid from 72.36% to 92.68%.

‘Millets-Smart Nutritive Food’ Conclave 

‘Millets-Smart Nutritive Food’ Conclave is being organized by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry through its apex agricultural export promotion body, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

The Conclave is to be a pre-launch event of the ‘International Year of Millets – 2023’ (IYoM-2023). It is organised with the objective of promoting the export of millets.

Key Points

  • At the Millets Smart Nutritive Conclave, stakeholders of the supply chain such as Farmer Producer Organisations, Start-ups, exporters, producers of millet-based value-added products are key participants. 
  • At the Conclave, exhibition and B2B meetings will also be organized to showcase Indian millets and millet-based products.
  • At the first-of-its-kind Millets Conclave, the government will release e-catalogue on 30 potential importing countries and 21 millet producing states of India. 
  • India is one of the leading producers of millets in the world with an estimated share of around 41 percent in the global production. 
  • India recorded 27 percent growth in millet production in 2021-22 as compared to millet production in the previous year was 15.92 MMT. 
  • India’s top five millet producing states are Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Share of export of millets is nearly 1% of the total millet production. 
  • Exports of millets from India include mainly whole grain and the export of value-added products of millets from India is negligible.

First G20 Sherpa Meeting under India’s Presidency begins at Udaipur

The first G20 Sherpa Meeting under India’s Presidency begins at Udaipur. Representatives of 19 countries including the European Union and nine unique invitee countries will take part in the discussion. 

The G20 Sherpa Meeting will be presided by Amitabh Kant.

Key Points

  • The Sherpa meeting of G20 will be held in the Udaipur district of Rajasthan from 4 December to 7 December.
  • Important conversations on some of the most pressing issues of recent times will be discussed. 
  • India will have the opportunity to convene discussions on shared global priorities with G20 Members and guests.
  • India formally assumed the year-long Presidency of the G-20 on 1st of December. 
  • During the course of its Presidency, India will be holding about 200 meetings in 32 different sectors in multiple locations across the country.
  • As a host, New Delhi will set the agenda for the G-20 summit meeting to be organized in September 2023.

Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar has been appointed as the chairperson of the National Statistical Commission

Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar has been appointed as part-time chairperson of National Statistical Commission of India (NSCI) for three years.

Karandikar will take up this role as an additional responsibility while continuing as Professor Emeritus at Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI). 

He is widely known for his work on probability theory as well as applications of mathematics and statistics to real world questions. 

He has designed, supervised and analysed nationwide opinion polls for the Indian parliamentary elections as well State assemblies since 1998. 

He is also known for developing a new model and methodology for seat prediction, which has been quite successful for over the last 20 years. 

About National Statistical Commission (NSC) of India

  • The National Statistical Commission (NSC) of India is an autonomous body which was formed in June 2005 under the recommendation of Rangarajan commission.
  • The objective of its constitution is to reduce the problems faced by statistical agencies in the country in relation to collection of data.
  • The Chairperson of the Commission enjoys the status of a Minister of State and the Members of the Commission have the status equivalent to the Secretary to the Government of India. 

Shekhar Pathak has won the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Award for the book based on the Chipko Movement

A book on the Chipko Movement, written by historian-activist Shekhar Pathak, was named the winner of the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize 2022. 

Translated from Hindi by Manisha Chaudhry, “The Chipko Movement: A People’s History” was selected from a diverse shortlist of five books covering a wide expanse of modern Indian history and encompassing distinct topics and perspectives. 

About Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize

  • The Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize recognises and celebrates excellence in non-fiction writings on modern or contemporary India by writers from all nationalities. 
  • The Prize was established in 2018 by the New India Foundation, a charitable organisation which also awards research fellowships and book grants for Indian writers.
  • The foundation provides grants for scholars and writers who are writing non-fiction and fiction books about India, and also provides translation grants for works translated from Indian languages.
  • The award carries a cash award of Rs 15 lakh, a trophy and a citation. 

 

Assam Current Affairs – December 01-03, 2022

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

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December 01-03, 2022

Assam govt announces yearly stipend for female PG students

The government of Assam will introduce a scheme under which all female students pursuing post-graduate courses in the state will be provided a yearly stipend of Rs 10,000 each which would be helpful in covering their commutation and other related expenses.

This was announced by Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The Chief Minister appealed to the female students pursuing PG courses to apply for getting the stipend in the portal to be launched by the Department of Education for the purpose in a few weeks from now.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also distributed scooters to meritorious candidates who cleared the last higher secondary examination conducted by the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) with a percentage above a certain threshold at a ceremony held in Guwahati. 

To be eligible for the award, the male candidates had to score a minimum of 75 per cent in higher secondary examination, while for female candidates the cut-off was fixed at 60 per cent.

The 23rd Hornbill Festival 2022 

The 23rd edition of the Hornbill International Festival 2022 begins at the Heritage Village Kisama in Nagaland. The festival commenced on December 1 and will continue till December 10.

The aim of the festival is to revive and protect the rich culture of Nagaland and display its extravaganza and traditions.

About Hornbill Festival

  • The festival is named after the Indian hornbill, the large and colourful forest bird which is displayed in the folklore of most of the state’s ethnic groups.
  • To encourage inter-ethnic interaction and to promote cultural heritage of Nagaland, the Government of Nagaland organizes the Hornbill Festival every year.
  • The 10-day Hornbill Festival represents all ethnic groups of Nagaland for which it is also called the Festival of Festivals.
  • The festival host guests from across states and nations, representing the rich culture of various tribes of Nagaland,
  • The festival provides a colourful mixture of dances, performances, crafts, parades, games, sports, food fairs and religious ceremonies.
  • Traditional arts which include paintings, wood carvings, and sculptures are also on display.
  • The Hornbill Festival has contributed significantly to enhancing the state’s tourism brand.

India-US joint military exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas’ 

The 18th edition of India-US joint military exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas’ is scheduled to be conducted in Uttarakhand.

Exercise Yudh Abhyas is conducted annually between India and USA with the aim of exchanging best practices, Tactics, Techniques and Procedures between the Armies of the two nations. 

Key Points

  • US Army soldiers of 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division and Indian Army soldiers from the ASSAM Regiment will be participating in the exercise. 
  • The training schedule focuses on employment of an integrated battle group under Chapter VII of the UN Mandate. 
  • The schedule will include all operations related to peace keeping & peace enforcement. 
  •  The joint exercise will also focus on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.
  • The troops from both nations will work together to achieve common objectives and will practice launching of swift & coordinated relief efforts in the wake of any natural calamity. 
  • In order to derive full benefit from the professional skills & experiences of  both the armies, a Command Post Exercise and Expert Academic Discussions (EAD) on carefully selected topics will be carried out. 
  • The scope of the Field Training Exercise includes validation of integrated battle groups, force multipliers, establishment and functioning of surveillance grids, validation of operational logistics, mountain warfare skills, casualty evacuation  and combat medical aid in adverse terrain and climatic conditions. 
  • The exercise will involve exchanges and practices on a wide spectrum of combat skills including combat engineering, employment of UAS/Counter UAS techniques and information operations. 
  • The exercise will facilitate both Armies to share their wide experiences, skills and enhance their techniques through information exchange.
  • The previous edition of the exercise was conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska (USA) in October 2021.

Stephanie Frappart will be the first woman referee at men’s’ FIFA World Cup

Stephanie Frappart will be the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup match after FIFA announced that she will take charge of the Group E match between Germany and Costa Rica. 

Frappart is one of three women referees among the 36 selected for the tournament in Qatar, alongside Rwandan official Salima Mukansanga and Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita.

She was the first woman to referee in France’s Ligue 1 in 2019, the same year she took charge of the women’s World Cup final in her home country. 

She also officiated the 2019 Uefa Super Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea, before refereeing the Champions League in 2020 and then the French Cup final last season.

India assumes United Nations Security Council Presidency for December 2022

India assumed the monthly presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the second time in its two-year tenure as an elected member of the Council in 2021-22. India had earlier assumed the Presidency in August 2021.

India has been a non-permanent member of the United Nations security council for 8 terms, with the most recent being the 2021-22 term. 

Key Points

  • India will hold a “high-level open debate” on “Maintenance of International Peace and Security: New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism (NORMS)” at the Security Council. 
  • New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism (NORMS) envisages reforms in the current multilateral architecture, with the UN at its centre, to make it more representative and fit for purpose. 
  • The other signature event planned is the high-level briefing on the theme “Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts: Global Approach to Counter Terrorism — Challenges and Way Forward”. 
  • This briefing intends to underscore the necessity of collective and coordinated efforts to combat the menace of terrorism.

About United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

  • The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) was established by the UN Charter in 1945.
  • It is one of the UN’s six main organs and is aimed at maintaining international peace and security. 
  • The Headquarters of the UNSC is located in New York City.
  • The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Security Council.
  • It is composed of 15 members: 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent. 
  • Five permanent members: China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
  • The 10 non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional basis as follows: 
    1. Five for African and Asian States. 
    2. One for the Eastern European States. 
    3. Two for the Latin American and Caribbean States; 
    4. Two for Western European and other States

Maternal Mortality Ratio in India dips to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20

According to the report released by the office of the Registrar General of India, The maternal Mortality Ratio in India has dropped from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20.

About Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) 

  • Maternal mortality in a region is a measure of the reproductive health of women in the area. 
  • According to the World Health Organization, “Maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes”.
  • The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is the number of maternal deaths during a specific time period per 100,000 live births during the same period.

Key Points

  • As per the statistics derived from Sample Registration System (SRS), the country has witnessed a progressive reduction in MMR from 130 in 2014-2016, 122 in 2015-17, 113 in 2016-18, 103 in 2017-19 and to 97 in 2018-20.
  • Upon achieving this, India has accomplished the National Health Policy (NHP) target for MMR of less than 100/lakh live births. 
  • Target 3.1 of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations aims at reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 1,00,000 live births during the same period.
  • According to the data, Assam has the highest MMR of 195, followed by Madhya Pradesh with an MMR of 173 and Uttar Pradesh with MMR of 167 per 1 lakh live births.
  • Kerala has the lowest MMR, followed by Maharashtra at 33 and Telangana at 43.