Assam and NE Current Affairs & GK- August 07-09, 2024
(Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for August 07-09, 2024)
New Bent-Toed Gecko Species Discovered in Northeast India
Scientists from India and the United Kingdom have recently described six new species of bent-toed geckos from Northeast India.
Key Research Institutions
The study was a collaborative effort involving the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), and the Natural History Museum London (NHM). Their teamwork showcases the value of international cooperation in studying biodiversity.
Highlights about the new species
- Namdapha bent-toed gecko: It was documented from the Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh and is widespread within lowland evergreen forests of the Namdapha and Kamlang Tiger Reserves.
- Siang Valley Bent-Toed Gecko (Arunachal Pradesh): It was discovered in the Siang River valley, renowned for its unique biodiversity.
- Ngengpui bent-toed gecko (Mizoram): It was discovered from the Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary of Lawngtlai district. The site is located in one of the easternmost protected areas of the country.
- Manipur bent-toed gecko: It was discovered near the Lamdan Kabui village of Manipur.
- Kiphire bent-toed gecko and Barail Hill bent-toed gecko (Nagaland): These two were discovered in Nagaland.
Tata Group Unveils ₹27,000 Crore Semiconductor Facility in Assam
The Tata semiconductor assembly and test facility at Jagiroad is India’s first indigenous semiconductor assembly and test facility.
The Bhoomi Pujan ceremony marks the commencement of India’s first indigenous semiconductor assembly and testing facility. The factory is expected to partially commence operations by 2025.
The facility, located in Jagiroad, Assam, will package 15 billion semiconductor chips per year. These chips will be used in various high-tech products, including electric vehicles, healthcare devices, mobile phones, and laptops.
Significance of the project
- The project will create over 27,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region.
- The expansion is expected to attract numerous semiconductor ecosystem companies to the region, fostering a robust electronics industry corridor.
- The facility will enable direct shipping of semiconductor chips to global end-users and OEMs, reinforcing India’s position in the semiconductor value chain.
PM Modi Praises Black Rice as Superfood
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently highlighted black rice as a superfood in the country due to its medicinal value.
PM Modi highlighted the medicinal value of black rice, while addressing the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE) in New Delhi.
The theme for this year’s ICAE is “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems” to promote sustainable agriculture in the face of global challenges such as climate change, natural resource degradation, rising production costs, and conflicts.
Black rice, often referred to as “forbidden rice,” has been a staple in North Eastern India for centuries. Known for its deep black color, which turns purple when cooked, it is packed with nutrients that are often lost in more common varieties of rice.
Black rice is popular in Indian states like Manipur, Assam, and Meghalaya, is gaining popularity due to its “medicinal value.
In 2020, Manipur’s black rice, Chak-Hao, bagged the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
BIMSTEC Business Summit 2024
The Ministry of External Affairs of India, in association with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), will host the first BIMSTEC Business Summit from August 6-8, 2024, in New Delhi.
Key Points
- External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will inaugurate the three-day Business Summit along with key note addresses from Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal and other leaders.
- The event will bring together more than 300 key stake holders from across the Bay of Bengal region to facilitate economic collaboration and explore ways ahead in focus areas such as trade facilitation, regional connectivity, energy security, inclusive growth and sustainable development.
- India attaches great importance to Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) which links five countries from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India & Sri Lanka) and two from South-East Asia (Myanmar & Thailand).
- The summit aims to foster greater regional collaboration through robust trade and investment relations among the BIMSTEC member countries.
Government declares Adichunchanagiri in Karnataka and Choolannuar in Kerala as Peacock Sanctuary
The Central Government has declared Adichunchanagiri in Karnataka and Choolannuar in Kerala as Peacock Sanctuary. This decision shows the government’s ongoing effort to protect wildlife and the national bird, the peacock.
Key Points
- The initiative aims to protect peacocks and their habitats, ensuring they can thrive without human interference.
- Declaring Adichunchanagiri and Choolannuar as Peacock Sanctuaries is an important move to protect peafowl (peacocks) and their habitats.
- Sanctuaries offer a safe space where these birds can live and thrive without human disturbance.
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has taken several steps to boost peacock conservation. These include setting up breeding and conservation centers aimed at increasing the peafowl population.
Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar Awards 2024
The government of India announced the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) awardees 2024, marking a significant shift in the country’s approach to recognising scientific achievements. The award ceremony for all categories of awards will be held on 23rd August, which is also National Space Day.
Categories of the Awards:
- Vigyan Ratna: Up to 3 awards for lifetime achievements in science and technology.
- Vigyan Shri: Up to 25 awards for distinguished contributions in various scientific fields.
- Vigyan Yuva: Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award: Up to 25 awards for exceptional contributions by young scientists.
- Vigyan Team Award: Up to 3 awards for teams of three or more innovators making significant contributions together.
2024 Award Winners
The recipients of this year’s awards are:
- Vigyan Ratna: G. Padmanabhan, a noted biochemist and former director of the Indian Institute of Science.
- Vigyan Shri: Dr. Annapurini Subramanian (Astrophysics), Dr. Anandharamakrishnan C (Agriculture Science), Dr. Avesh Kumar Tyagi (Atomic Energy), Prof. Umesh Varshney, Prof. Jayant Bhalchandra Udgaonkar (Biological Sciences), Prof. Syed Wajih Ahmad Naqvi (Earth Sciences), Prof. Bhim Singh (Engineering Sciences), Prof. Adimurthi Adi, Prof. Rahul Mukherjee (Mathematics and Computer Science), Prof. Dr. Sanjay Behari (Medicine), Prof. Lakshmanan Muthusamy, Prof. Naba Kumar Mondal (Physics), Prof. Rohit Srivastava (Technology and Innovation)
- Vigyan Yuva: Krishna Murthy SL, Swarup Kumar Parida (Agricultural Science), Radhakrishnan Mahalakshmi, Prof. Aravind Penmatsa (Biological Sciences), Vivek Polshettiwar, Vishal Rai (Chemistry), Roxy Mathew Koll (Earth Sciences), Abhilash, Radha Krishna Ganti (Engineering Sciences), Purabi Saikia, Bappi Paul (Environmental Science), Mahesh Ramesh Kakde (Mathematics and Computer Science), Jitendra Kumar Sahu, Pragya Dhruv Yadav (Medicine) Urbasi Sinha (Physics), Digendranath Swain, Prashant Kumar (Space Science and Technology), Prabhu Rajagopal (Technology and Innovation)
- Vigyan Team Award: The team from ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 mission.
About Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP):
- It is a new set of awards introduced by the Government of India in the field of Science, Technology, and Innovation.
- It aims to recognize the notable and inspiring contributions made by scientists, technologists, and innovators individually or in teams in various fields of science, technology, and technology-led innovation.
- It is one of the highest recognitions in the field of science, technology, and innovation in India.
Neeraj Chopra Wins Silver at Paris Olympics 2024
Neeraj Chopra won a silver medal in men’s javelin at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a season-best throw of 89.45 meters.
Gold medal was claimed by Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem with a throw of 92.97m, setting a new Olympic record.
Grenada’s Anderson Peters took bronze with a throw of 88.54 meters.
Neeraj Chopra was the first Indian to win a gold medal at the World U20 Championships in 2016 and became the first Indian to reach the top of the world rankings in javelin in 2021.
Indian Hockey team wins a bronze at Paris Olympics 2024
India’s men’s hockey team won the bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a 2-1 victory over Spain.
This achievement marks India’s first time winning consecutive Olympic medals in hockey since the 1972 Munich Games.
The match took place at Yves du Manoir Stadium in Paris. Spain led early with a penalty stroke by Marc Miralles in the second quarter. India equalized before half-time with a drag flick goal by captain Harmanpreet Singh. The Netherlands won gold, beating Germany 2-1 in a shootout in the final.
The Netherlands won gold, beating Germany 2-1 in a shootout in the final.