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ASSAM CURRENT AFFAIRS 2020
Assam Current Affairs - January 2020
• Magh Bihu festival celebrated in Assam
On January 15,2020 Magh Bihu, an auspicious harvest festival is being celebrated in Assam. Magh Bihu falls in the local month of 'Magh' during mid-january. It is also called 'Bhogali Bihu' or 'Maghor Bihu' as it is celebrated with community feasts after the annual harvest takes place.
Key Points:
• People began the day by gathering at the temple and offered prayers, beat up the drums and walk around the bonfire. • The highlight of this festival is the food, which is made from the abundance of grains after the harvest. • The night before ‘Magh Bihu' is called 'Uruka' meaning the night of feasts. • The villagers make bamboo huts called 'Bhelghor' or community kitchen where they begin with the preparations for the festival.
About Assam:
Capital- Dispur
Chief Minister (CM)- Sarbananda Sanowal
Governor-Jagdish Mukhi
• Eight States finalized Agriculture Export Policy by the Government of India
On January 5, 2020, As per Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), eight states namely Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Punjab, and Karnataka finalized an action plan for Agriculture Export Policy (AEP) to enhance exports.
Key Points:
• Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) ensures the involvementfor states in AEP. • A MOU was signed with the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to include co-operatives foractive role in AEP. Over 800 farmers producer organizations were signed the agreement.
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• The product clusters selected are Jalandhar, Punjab (Potato), Sangli, Maharashtra (Grapes), Salem, Tamil Nadu(Poultry products), Theni, Tamil Nadu (Banana), Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh (Mango), Indore, Madhya Pradesh(Onion), Jodhpur, Rajasthan (Isabgol) and Chikkaballapur, Karnataka (Rose Onion). • Under the guidance of APEDA, states are operating a market intelligence cell. • APEDA launched the Farmer connect portal on its website to interact with exporters. About Agriculture Export Policy:
• Agriculture Export Policy was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2018. • It aims to increase the potential of Indian agriculture to make India a global power in agriculture. • This policy also helps the government in achieving the target of doubling the farmer's income from 30 billion USDto 60 billion USD by 2022. • Centre & Assam govt signed tripartite agreement with the banned NDFB
On January 27, 2020 Govt. of India has signed a tripartite agreement with the representatives of the banned National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) organisation and Government of Assam at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The pact was signed to boost peace in the Northeastern state of Assam. The agreement would fulfill political and economic demands besides safeguarding the language and culture of the Bodo community people.
Agreement signing: The agreement was signed by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, four factions of the NDFB, All Bodo Students' Union(ABSU), Joint Secretary of Home Ministry Satyendra Garg and Assam Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna in presence of Union Minister of Home Affairs(MOHA) Shri Amit Shah. Tripartite agreement with NDFB:
• Assistance: Over 1500 armed cadres will abjure violence and join the mainstream. A Special Development Package Rs. 1500 crores for over 3 years will be given by the Govt. to undertake specific projects for the development of Bodo areas. • A commission under Section 14 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India will be set up. The commissionwill work in recommending inclusion or exclusion of tribal population residing in villages adjoining the BodolandTerritorial Area Districts (BTAD) areas. • Commission representatives: In this commission, apart from State government representatives will also be from ABSU and BTC. The recommendation will be submitted within 6 months from the date of notification.
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• The All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU), which has been spearheading a movement for a separate Bodoland state alsosigned the accord.
• Welfare council: The Assam govt will establish a Bodo-Kachari Welfare Council and will also notify Bodo language as an official language in the state. A separate directorate for Bodo medium schools will also be established.
• similar agreement: Similar to the tripartite agreement, a pact named Bru-Reang agreement was signed on January 16, 2020 to end the humanitarian crisis in the states of Meghalaya and Tripura by bringing the armed cadres in Assam and 88 armed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) cadres in Tripura to bring them to the mainstream.
• NDFB is an armed separatist outfit which seeks to obtain a sovereign Bodoland for the Bodo people. This is the 3rd bodo accord signed in the last 27 years.
1st accord: The 1st was signed in 1993 leading to creation of Bodoland Autonomous Council with limited political powers.
2nd accord: The second accord was signed in 2003 with the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) militant group leading to formation of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). this pact lead to formation of 4 districts( Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa & Udalguri) in Assam to the BTC. About National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB)
Fact 1 - NDFB is an armed separatist outfit which seeks to obtain a sovereign Boroland for the Bodo people. NDFB is headquartered in Myanmar (Burma). Fact 2 - It was designated as a terrorist organisation by the Government of India. • Assam Rifles builds war memorial “Veer Samriti” in Nagaland for 357 martyrs
On January 30,2020 Assam Rifles (military unit) has constructed a war memorial “Veer Samriti” in Nagaland, Kohima for 357 Army & Assam Rifles personnel, who died while fighting insurgency in north-eastern state. It is first of its kind in Nagaland.
About “Veer Samriti" war memorial:
• The memorial has been built at Mokokchung, Nagaland (one of the cultural & intellectual center), which was planned & executed by Inspector General Assam Rifles (North), will be inaugurated soon.
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• The names of the 357 martyrs have been carved on a single granite stone. The memorial is spread over 13,500 sq feet & was built by 44 Assam Rifles. • The 19 feet high war memorial is having 3 converging posts signifying the Army, Air Force and Assam Rifles.
About Assam Rifles:
Founded - 1835.
Headquarters- Shillong, Meghalaya.
Motto-Sentinels of the North East.
Director General- Lt Gen Sukhdeep Sangwan.
• Natyasurya Awardee dramatist Ratna Ojha passed away at 88 in Assam
On December 31, 2019, renowned Assamese dramatist, writer and social activist Ratna Ojha passed away in Guwahati, Assam. He was 88. He took part in an ongoing protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Key Points:
• He was born on December 5, 1931, in Barpeta district of Assam. • In 1971 he introduced street plays in Assam. • He also introduced Cartoon Theater in Northeast and produced and directed the documentary film ‘Naam-ghar'. • For his contribution in the field of theater, he received the prestigious Natyasurya Award in 2005.
• Assam tops in best budgetary practices followed by Odisha,AP & Manipur at bottom: TII survey
On January 29, 2020, According to the survey 3rd edition “Transparency In Budgetary Process Report” conducted by Transparency International's India (TII), Assam tops in the ranking of best practices followed by states in budget formulation with a score of 70.
Key Points:
• Assam was followed by Odisha (2nd with the score of 6) & Andhra Pradesh (AP) (3rd with the score of 64). While Manipur ranked bottom with the score of 25.
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• This survey is based on four parameters which includes public disclosure, budgetary process, post budget fiscal management and efforts to make budget more transparent and citizen friendly. • The survey classified the states in various categories incl opaque (0-45 sco low level of transparency (46-60), medium level of transparency (61-75), transparent (76-90) and highly transparent (91-100). • The survey also recommends to enhance the budget transparency and accountability in state- wise. They include better use of information, communication & technology for transparent financial management, strengthening institutions involved in the budgetary process, formulate plans for citizen's engagement in budgetary process among others.
• Assam, Jal Shakti Mission & NDRF wins the best tableaux awards for 71st Republic Day Parade 2020
On January 28, 2020, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh distributed the awards for best tableaux which was conducted on January 26, 2020, during the 71st Republic Day event. There were a total of 22 tableaux including 16 from various states and union territories and the remaining 6 from various ministries and departments. Best Tableaux Awards (States and Union territories):
• Assam's tableaux displayed the theme 'Land of Unique Craftsmanship and Culture', had showcased the Xattriya tradition in the form of Bhortal Nritya was chosen as the best tableaux. • The second position was tied between Odisha which depicted Lord Lingaraja's Rukuna Rath Yatra, and Uttar Pradesh which showcased the culture of Sarva Dharma Samabhav. Best Tableaux Awards Ministry/Departments :
Among the six tableaux from different ministries departments, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) won joint best Tableaux award for showcasing the cutting-edge technology and instruments used by the force to carry out daring rescue operations in flood-hit and disaster-hit areas line with its motto 'Aapda Sewa Sadaiv' along with Jal Shakti Mission who won best tableaux for government's new initiative, 'Jal Jeevan Mission', which aims at providing functional tap connection to every rural household by 2024.
Special Prize: Central Public Works Department (CPWD) won a special prize for the theme "Kashmir se Kanyakumari".
• For the first time Lawn bowls & Cycling to be included in 3rd Khelo India Games 2020 to be held in Guwahati,Assam
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On 2nd January 2019, Chief Executive Officer of “Khelo India Games" has announced the inclusion of “Lawn bowls” and"Cycling" in the 3rd edition of Khelo India Games. These two games will be included in the event for the first time.
Key Points:
• Around 6500 athletes from 37 teams will take part in the 3rd edition of Khelo India youth games in Guwahati, Assam which is scheduled to be held from 10th of January to 22nd of February at Indira Gandhi Stadium. • The cultural events from Assam, North East and other states will be added in the event which starts from 13th to 15th of January at Sarusajai. The exhibition of indigenous games will also be held and there will be no entry fee for the inaugural ceremony people can enjoy it free of cost.
About Khelo India Games:
Khelo India Youth Games, formerly Khelo India School Games are the national level multidisciplinary games in India held for two categories, namely under-17 years' school students and under-21 college students annually in January or February.
Headquarters-New Delhi
Chief Executive Officer- Avinash Joshi
•Overview of 3rd Khelo India youth games 2020 held in Guwahati,Assam
The 3rd edition of Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2020 was held at Karmabir Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Indoor Stadium in Guwahati, Assam with the participation of over 10,000 students. Vijay the Tiger and Jaya the Black buck were the mascots of the tournament. Maharashtra clinched Khelo India Youth Games 2020 champions trophy with a collection of 256 medals (78 gold, 77 silver and 101 bronze).
Organized by Ministry for Youth Affairs and Sports & conducted in partnership with the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), Indian Olympic Association (IOA), and Assam State government, it was held from January 9-22, 22020.
Top 3
Rank State Goldmedal Silvermedal Bronzemedal Medaltally 1 Maharashtra 78 77 101 256 2 Haryana 68 60 72 200 3 Delhi 39 36 47 112
Sprinter Hima Das was the torchbearer of opening ceremony of KIYG 2020
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Indian sprinter Hima Das (nicknamed the Dhing Express) of Assam was the torchbearer in the opening ceremony of the Khelo India Youth Games 2020. Pugilist Harsh Bhagwan wins Daman and Diu's first medal at KIYG 2020
Pugilist Harsh Bhagwan (17) has clinched a silver medal in the boys Under-17, 50-52kg category, becoming the Union Territory- Daman and Diu's first medal-winner in this 3rd edition of the Games. Tamil Nadu girls won the under-17 basketball title
Tamil Nadu girls won the U-17 (under-17) basketball title by defeating Rajsthan with 59-57 points at KIYG 2020 held in Assam. Maharashtra wins U-17 & U-21 gold in Kho Kho
Maharashtra displayed their best performance at the Kho Kho events by winning all the 4 Gold medals in under-17& under-21 boys and girls categories.
Boys team from Maharashtra defeated Gujarat with 19-11 points while the girls defeated Delhi with 14- 8 scores intheir respective encounters in the finals. UP secures gold in mix team event U-21 category in 10-m air pistol
Uttar Pradesh (UP) has clinched the gold medal in mix team event under 21 category in 10-meter air pistol.Shooters Devanshi Dhama & Shravan Kumar represented UP team.
Assam wins 7 gold in new lawn bowls at Khelo India Youth Games
KIYG 2020 host Assam has won the 7 gold medals in newly introduced lawn bowlstea MP govt announces incentives for medal winners in Khelo India Youth Games
The Madhya Pradesh govt has announced an incentive of Rs 1 lakh to the gold medal winner, 75 thousand to the silver medalist and Rs 50 thousand to the bronze medalist of the Khelo India Youth Games. A total of 46 medals including 15 gold and 11 silver medals were clinched by Madhya Pradesh.
About Khelo India:
It is the biggest sporting event in India. It is a national level multidisciplinary grassroot games in India held for 2 categories, namely under-17 years school students and under-21 college students. It was first launched in 2018 in New Delhi under the name Khelo India School Games (KISG).
Haryana emerged as top performers in the 1st edition & the 2nd edition was launched in Pune, Maharashtra, where Maharashtra emerged as the top performers.
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•India won the T20 series during '2020 Sri Lanka tour of India' held in Indore, Guwahati and Pune
The Indian Men's cricket team played T201 (twenty twenty International) bilateral series against Srilanka during the 2020 Sri Lanka tour of India. India defeated Sri Lanka in final T201 to win three match T20I series for 2-0. The three T201 matches were held in Guwahati(Assam), Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Pune(Maharashtra). The firstmatch was in Guwahati but was abandoned due to rain. The highlights of the match are as follows: Virat Kohli overtook Rohit Sharma to become highest scorer in T201:
Indian cricketer Virat Kohli surpassed India's Rohit Sharma to become the highest run-scorer in the T201. Virat now has 2,663 runs in the shortest format of the game. Bumrah becomes India's highest wicket-taker in T20:
India's Jasprit Bumrah became the highest wicket-taker in the T20 match against Srilanka. He has now 53 T20 wickets under his name from 45 T201 matches overall. He achieved this feat after he dismissed Srilanka's opener Danushka Gunathilaka.
Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin were joint second highest wicket-takers by making 52 wickets from 37 matches and 52 wickets from 46 matches respectively. Kohli becomes quickest to reach 11,000 international runs as captain:
Virat Kohli made another achievement by becoming the quickest to reach 11,000 international runs a captain in his 169th international match. He achieved the feat during the final T201 match against Srilanka. With this, Kohli became the second Indian after Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Overall, he is the sixth captain to achieve the feat after Ricky Ponting (Australia), Graeme Smith (South Africa),Stephen Fleming (New Zealand), MS Dhoni, and Allan Border (Australia). ICC T20I rankings: Rahul ranked top among Indian batsmen, Kohli moves up
India opener Kannur Lokesh Rahul retained 6th position in the first ICC Men's T201 Player Rankings of the season while Indian captain Virat Kohli moved up a place to 9th place. Apart from Kohli and KL Rahul, no other Indians were placed in the top 10 places in all the batting, bowling and all-rounder rankings.
About Match venues:
Barsapara Cricket Stadium- Guwahati, Assam.
Holkar Cricket Stadium-Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
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Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium- Pune, Maharashtra.
• Assamese linguist Golok Chandra Goswami passed away at 96
On January 24,2020 Eminent linguist Golok Chandra Goswami passed away at the age of 96, in Guwahati, Assam due to old age ailments. Golok Chandra Goswami was born in Morigaon, Assam in 1923. Goswami pursued his master's degree in Assamese language Gauhati University, Assam. In 1985 he retired from Gauhati University as head of the Assamese department. In 2018, he was awarded with Hemchandra Barua Bhasha Sahitya Sadhana award by Sadin- Pratidin group.
Key Points:
Golok Chandra Goswami well-known books are:
1. 'An Introduction to Assamese Phonology'. 2. 'Structure of Assamese'. 3. 'Assamese-Its Formation & Development. 4. 'Dhvani Bigyanor Bhumika'. 5. 'AsomiyaBornoprakash'. 6. 'AsomiyaAkhorJotoni'.
Awards & Honours:
1. Goswami was honoured withSahityacharya title by Assam Sahitya Sabha. 2. Bhashacharya title by Asom Bhasha Bikash Samiti. 3. Anundoram Borooah Award by Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language, Art and Culture.
•Assamese litterateur Sashi Sarma passed away at 89
On January 29, 2020 Famous Assamese litterateur Sashi Sarma, 89 years old passed away at his home Nalbari, Assam due to age-related ailments.
Awards: Sarma had received Soviet Nehru Award in 1968 & the Sitanath Brahma Chowdhury Award from AssamSahitya Sabha.
Key Points:
• Sarma was an academic, intellectual and an example of Hindu-Muslim unity in Assam and authored nearly 100 books. He was a retired professor of Nalbari college, Assam and his last book ‘Antim Jatra' was released in 2019
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Assam Current Affairs - February 2020
• President gives nod for delimitation exercise in NE States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland
On February 28, 2020, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his nod for resuming delimitation exercise in the northeastern States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland by rescinding cancelling the February 8, 2008 order. The decision has been taken following the improvement in the security situation in these states and a reduction in insurgency incidents.
Background:
A Delimitation Commission was set up under the Delimitation Act, 2002 to readjust the division of each state and union territory into territorial constituencies for the purpose of Lok Sabha and state assembly elections on the basis of census figures of 2001. The Delimitation Commission completed the delimitation exercise on November 26,2008 in respect of all the states, except in these four northeastern states due to threat to the peace and public order.
What is Delimitation?
According to the Election Commission website, it means the act or process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province having a legislative body.
-Delimitation Commissions in India have been constituted four times in the past in 1952 under the Delimitation Commission Act, 1952, in 1963 under Delimitation Commission Act, 1962, in 1973 under Delimitation Act, 1972 and in 2002 under Delimitation Act, 2002.
-This process is assigned to a high power body namely Delimitation Commission or a Boundary Commission, whose orders have the force of law and cannot be called in question before any court.
-The Copies of the orders passed by Delimitation Commission has to be laid before Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assembly. But no modifications are permissible there in by them.
• APEDA-CFTRI Sign MoU for Liason Office in Guwahati to Promote Food Processing & Organic Agri
Exports in North-East States On February 4,2020 A Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) was signed between CSIR-CFTRI(Council of Scientific & Industrial Research- Central Food Technological Research Institute) and APEDA (Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority ) to set up
Page 10 of 88 ASSAM CURRENT AFFAIRS 2020 a Liaison Office, Guwahati, Assam to provide technical support to the food industries in the NorthEast region.It will benefit the farmers, products and entrepreneurs.
Key Points:
• CSIR-CFTRI had brought many innovative efforts to the market. • Apeda has undertaken many promotional activities in the North-east states of India. • Apeda has organized 5 international buyer-seller meets in Assam, Manipur, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh & Sikkim. • To create awareness on agriculture and exports in the North-East states, converting the large areas of land into organic certification training is provided based on requirements based on National Programme on Organic Production (NPOP). About CSIR-CFTRI:
Founded- 21 October 1950.
Headquarters- Mysore, Karnataka.
Director-Dr KarumanchiSrisailaMallikarjuna S Raghavarao.
About APEDA:
Founded - 1986.
Headquarters- New Delhi.
Chairman-Pawan Kumar Borthakur.
• High-level committee headed by retired Justice Biplab sharma submits report on clause 6 of Assam accord
On February 25, 2020, A high-powered committee headed by retired former Gauhati High Court (HC) Justice BiplabKumar Sarma has formally submitted its report on implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord 1985 to Assam Chief Minister (CM) Sarbananda Sonowal in the presence of state's finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other officials. The report will then submitted to the Union Home Minister (HM) Amit Shah.
Key Points:
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• The Clause 6 of the Assam Accord of 1985 was signed between the All Assam Students Union (AASU), Union government and Assam government on August 15, 1985, in the presence of then prime minister (PM) Rajiv Gandhi.Under this, the centre agreed to accept all the migrants that entered before 1966 & also affirms provide constitutional, legislative and administrative measures to protect and preserve the cultural, social, linguistic identity of the Assamese people. • The Central Government on July 16, 2019 setup a high-level committee for recommending measures to implement the Clause 6 of the Assam Accord.
•1 in 3 payments for maternity benefit scheme ‘PMMVY' credited to wrong account: NITI Aayog report
On February 23, 2020, According to "Transforming Nutrition in India: Poshan Abhiyan", a 2nd progress report on Prime Minister's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment (POSHAN) Abhiyaan (Nutrition Mission) until September 2019, released by the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog, worryingly 1 in 3 of Aadhaar-based payments for Centre's maternity benefit scheme/ Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana(PMMVY) was credited to a wrong bank account. As per the report, 28% of 31.29 lakh of all Aadhaar-based payments are going to different bank accounts than what had been provided by the beneficiaries.
Key Points:
• As per the data gathered until March 31, 2019, the report notes that 66% of the direct benefit transfers for the PMMVY were based on Aadhaar. • According to a telephone survey of 5,525 beneficiaries, undertaken by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD), showed that just 60% of beneficiaries under the scheme were aware of the receipt of thebenefits and the bank accounts to which the money was remitted.
Background: There have been records of long term delays with some beneficiaries having to wait for 2 years period to get the benefit. They also facing problems in filling up the 32-page application form and providing nine identity documents.
Ranking of the states:
The report also ranked states & Union Territories to measure their readiness to execute the programme across 4 themes: governance and institutional mechanism; strategy and planning, service delivery and capacities; and programme activities and intervention coverage. The States were classified into large and small categories for a better comparison.Among the 19 large States, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh scored the top 3 ranks with the scheme implementation score of over 70%. While,
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Among the 8 small States, Mizoram and Sikkim scored above 75%. Similarly, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Chandigarh, and Daman and Diu scored above 75% & got top 3 spot among 7 Union Territories list.
Top 3 states in the ranking
Rank Large states Small States Union Territories 1 Andhra Pradesh Mizoram Dadra & nagar haveli 2 Chhattisgarh Sikkim Chandigarh 3 Madhya Pradesh Nagaland Daman &diu
Bottom 3 states in the ranking
Karnataka – 17th Tripura – 6th Andaman &nicobar island – 5th Assam – 18th Manipur – 7th Delhi – 6th Kerala – 19th Goa – 8th Lakshadweep – 7th
y Way forward : The reknit stressed to simplify the documentation and onerational rules to avoid delays in money transfer & also proposed to rationalize the mandatory waiting period of 180 days before the second installment is released as well as the compulsory birth certificate for the release of the 3rd installment.
About PMMVY:
It is a maternity benefit programme being implemented in all districts of the country with effect from 1st January, 2017.Under this, pregnant women and lactating mothers get *5,000 for their 1st child in 3 instalments (of Rs1,000, Rs2,000 and Rs2,000) on fulfilling some conditions including early registration of pregnancy, Ante-natal check-up, and Registration of the birth of the child and completion of first cycle of vaccination for the first living child of the family.The amount is meant to compensate women for the loss of wages and is aimed at ensuring a healthy nutritional development of the newborn baby.
•India to host the FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup 2020; 'Kick Off the Dream' is official slogan
On February 18, 2020 Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju announced the 5 host cities of India for the FIFA (Federation Internat ionale de Football Association) Under-17 Women's Football World Cup which begins on 2nd November 2020. The official slogan of the tournament is: Kick Off the Dream. Key Points:
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I. Host cities: Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Bhubaneshwar (Odisha), Guwahati (Assam), Kolkata (West Bengal) and Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) were confirmed as the 5 host cities for the FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup. ii.Finals: The final match will be held at Dr D Y Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra on 21st November 2020. iii.Participants: 16 teams will compete across 32 matches to lift the title. About FIFA:
Motto- For the Game, For the World.
Headquarters- Zurich, Switzerland.
FIFA Chief Women's Football Officer- Sarai Bareman.
President- Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino.
• Former Assam Speaker and sitting MLA Pranab Kumar Gogoi passed away at 84
On February 3,2020 Former Assam Legislative Assembly Speaker and sitting Congress MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) Pranab kumar Gogoi, 84 years old passed away in Guwahati, Assam due to age-related illness. He was born on 19th August 1936 in Dibrugarh, Assam.
Key Points:
• Pranab Kumar belongs to Indian National Congress (INC) party and was first elected as Legislator from the Assam Legislative Assembly from Sivasagar, Assam for 4 consecutive terms. • He also served as minister in Tarun Gogoi-led cabinet from 2006-2011 and speaker of the Assam legislative assembly in 2011. • In 2015, Pranab Kumar took the definition of the term 'Assamese'.
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Assam Current Affairs - March 2020
• Rs 33 cr for Kaziranga under Project Tiger scheme; Rs 1.51 crore under CAMPA for FY2018-19 & FY19-20
On March 2, 2020, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has notified that under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), a financial assistance of Rs 1.51 crore has been sanctioned to Kaziranga National Park in Kanchanjuri, Assam during the financial years 2018-19 and 2019-2020. For the financial years 2018-19 Rs 94,46,585 was sanctioned while Rs 51,24,670 was allocated for 2019-2020.
Apart from this, under the Project Tiger scheme, Rs 33 crore was sanctioned. A financial assistance of Rs 10.30 crore was sanctioned for 2018-19 and Rs 22.81 crore was allocated for 2019-20 to Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, which includes Kaziranga National Park.
Utilization of allocation:
• Highlands and platforms have been constructed in national parks to give shelter to animals during high flood. • Anti-poaching camps in strategic locations have also been constructed with sufficient armed guards, besides deployment of boats during flood and use of modern technologies like 'electronic eye' for smart patrolling.
About Project Tiger scheme:
Initiated in April 1, 1973, Project Tiger was started to save tigers from getting extinct by taking preventive measures.It was launched in Jim Corbett National Park, Uttrakhand under the leadership of Indira Gandhi to save Royal Bengal Tigers. After the project, the number has increased from 1200 to around 5000. About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC):
Union Minister-Prakash Javadekar
Minister of State (Mos)- Babul Supriyo
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• Andhra Pradesh ranked 1st in the country for overall implementation of POSHAN Abhiyaan
On March 9, 2020 Andhra Pradesh (AP) ranked 1st in the country for overall implementation of POSHAN( Prime Minister's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment) Abhiyaan as per September 2019 progress report of NITI Aayog, “Transforming Nutrition in India: POSHAN Abhiyaan”.The 2nd anniversary of POSHAN Abhiyaan is recognized by celebrating Poshan Pakhwada from 8th-22nd March 2020.
Overall Implementation Status of POSHAN Abhiyaan
It is classified under 3 categories & the following is named according to the position.
• Large State (19)-AP, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Rajasthan ,Bihar ,Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Assam, Kerala. • Small State (8)- Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Manipur, Goa. • Union Territory(7)- Dadra & Nagar Haveli,Chandigarh, Daman &Diu,Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar, Delhi, Lakshadweep.
Highlights of AP
As part of the programme it also trained all AnganWadi Workers on modules created based on lifecycle approach where 1st 1000 days of life, with the support of incremental learning Approach (ILA)& has given 55,607smartphones to them, to improve delivery service & to report day to day actions, as well as to council the target.
Poshan Pakhwada 2020
The focus area of Poshan Pakhwada 2020 is ‘Men for Nutrition - Increasing Male Engagement in POSHAN Abhiyaan to Improve Nutritional Indicators'.It aims to reduce malnutrition from the country in a phased manner through the life cycle concept, by adopting a synergized & result-oriented approach.
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Tamil Nadu tops in Poshan Abhiyaan's participants list
Tamil Nadu tops the list of the states in terms of the number of participants in the programme.
POSHAN Abhiyaan
It was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of the International Women's Day on 8 March,2018 Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan. It is India's flagship programme to direct the attention of the country towards the problem of malnutrition & address it in a mission-mode. It is earlier called as National Nutrition Mission (NNM), since 18th December, 2017. NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog has played a critical role in shaping the POSHAN Abhiyaan &it is required to submit implementation status reports of POSHAN Abhiyaan every 6 months to the Prime Minister'sOffice (PMO).
The goals of POSHAN Abhiyaan :
To achieve improvement in the nutritional status of Children from 0-6 years, Adolescent Girls, Pregnant Women & Lactating Mothers in a time bound manner with fixed targets & aims to bring down stunting of children in the age group of 0-6 years from 38.4% to 25% by the year 2022. Strategy/Pillars for implementation of the mission are:
Inter-sectoral convergence for better service delivery Use of Information & Communication Technology (ICT) for real time growth monitoring & to track women & children Intensified health & nutrition services for first 1000 days Jan Andolan. About Andhra Pradesh
Capital- Amaravati
Chief Minister- YS Jagan Mohan Reddy
•Centre constitutes Delimitation commission for J&K, Assam, Manipur, Arunachal, chaired by former SC judge Ranjana Prakash Desai
On March 06, 2020, In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of the Delimitation Act, 2002, the Central government has set up a Delimitation Commission, headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, for the delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and the northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh(AP), Manipur and Nagaland.
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Key Points:
• The Commission will also comprise of members,viz an Election Commissioner (presently Mr. Sushil Chandra) andthe State Election Commissioners of the respective States and UT,who will be made ex-officio members of the commission. Ranjana Prakash has been appointed for a period of one year. • The Commission is mandated to delimit the Lok Sabha and Assembly Constituencies in J&K under the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act,2019 while the provisions of the Delimitation Act 2002 will delimit Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland. Delimitation was done based on the 2001 census. The Section 60 of the J&K Reorganisation Act,2019 stipulates that the number of seats in its Legislative Assembly will be increased to 114, from the present 107. Of these, 24 seats have been reserved for Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. • Such Delimitation Commissions have been formed 4 times in India - in 1952 under the Delimitation Commission Act, 1952, in 1963 under Delimitation Commission Act, 1962, in 1973 under Delimitation Act, 1972 and in 2002 under Delimitation Act, 2002.
Delimitation Commission:
It is appointed by the President of India (presently Ram Nath Kovind) and works in collaboration with the Election Commission of India. What is Delimitation?
It refers to the act or process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country to represent changes in population. Why it is needed?
The primary aim of delimitation is to provide equal representation to similar segments of the population. It also aimsat proper division of geographical areas so that one political party does not get an inappropriate advantage over others in elections.It also aimed to follow the principle of One vote One value.
Issues with Delimitation:
The States that take less interest in population control could end up with a greater number of seats in Parliament. About Ministry of Law and Justice:
Headquarters- New Delhi
Union Minister-Ravi Shankar Prasad
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• Assam Government to construct 33 stadiums under Uttaran scheme
The Assam Government plans to construct 33 stadiums across the state under the Uttaran Scheme, 300 crores will be provided to construct these stadiums announced by Principal Secretary of Sports Avinash Joshi and Joint Director Kamaljit and 500 playgrounds are being built to encourage rural talents. Key Points:
• The Government has decided to provide an amount of Rs.50,000 to 1000 players and Rs.75,000 will be given to 2500 clubs. • The Uttaran Scheme is adopted by the Assam Government to give a new dimension to the visions of the MLAs and to implement innovative projects which will be suitable to local needs.
• Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal honoured with Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee award for politics : Swarajya Awards 2020
On February 28, 2020 Assam's Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was honoured with Swarajya Awards 2020 under the category, Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee Award for Politics at the 6th India Ideas Conclave at Tent City Narmada in Gujarat. The award is instituted by India Foundation & Indic Academy, &presented by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Speaker of People's Majlis of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed.
He received the award for his work in integrating the nation, & to take Mukherjee's vision & philosophy forward. He dedicated the award to the people of Assam, who have been the source of inspiration and guidance during his public life.
About Swarajya Awards
The award aims to Honor the stellar work by individuals in the field of culture, social work, politics & economics .Eachaward will carry a citation, a specially designed trophy & a cheque worth Rs. 1 lakh. Winners List
Awardee Category Field Sarbananda Sonowal Dr S.P Mukharjee Award Politics K parasan Shree narayana guru award Social work Bharatbala Ustad Bismillah Khan award Culture
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About Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee
• He was born on 6th July 1901& served as the youngest Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University (1934-1938).He became the First Minister of Commerce and Industry of India (1947 - 1950) & is the founder of BJP. • In 2015, the Government of India launched the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission (SPMRM) to drive economic, social and infrastructure development in rural areas and create 300 urban areas to stem increasing migration to urban areas. • In his memory Shyama Prasad Mukharjee College of University of Delhi was established in 1969.
• Jadav Payeng environmental activist of Assam named as 128th Commonwealth Points of Light Award winner
On March 3 2020, Jadav Payeng, an environmental activist of Assam also known as the “Forest man of India" named as 128th winner of Commonwealth Points of Light Award. He had spent 30 years of his life for planting trees. He was honored by the Head of Common Wealth the Queen Elizabeth II for his exceptional volunteer service inenvironmental conservation.
JadavPayeng,57 years old had created a sandbar as forest reserve and home to animals, birds and various species onthe bank of river Brahmaputra.The sandbar is a part of Majuli, the world's largest river island.Molai forest also created by JadavPayeng.
Padma Shri JadavPayeng also received the Karmayogi Award for 2020 at New Delhi.
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Commonwealth Points of Light Award:
The Award was first established by former the U.S. President George H. W. Bush in 1990 and it is given to thankinspirational volunteers across the 53 Commonwealth nations.
•Former Indian Footballer Abdul Latif passed away at 73
On March 23, 2020, Abdul Latif, former India football player and 1970 Asian games bronze medallist passed away at the age of 73 in Guwahati, Assam. He also represented India in Asia Cup Qualifier in 1968 in Myanmar and Merdeka Cup in 1969 in Kuala Lumpur.
Key Points:
• About Latif: He was born on June 20 of 1947 in Mysore, Karnataka.He played as a midfielder and also played for the two famous Kolkata clubs Mohammedan Sporting Club and Mohun Bagan. • He was the coach of the Assam team which won the junior & sub-junior national titles under his guidance.
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Assam Current Affairs - April 2020
• PM-KISAN: Aadhaar seeding process for beneficiaries of Assam, Meghalaya, J- K, Ladakh extended till March, 2021
The relaxation given to Assam, Meghalaya, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh regarding the mandatory requirement of Aadhaar seeding for beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM- KISAN) scheme has been extended for one more year till 31st March 2021 from 31st March, 2020. Aadhaar seeding is a process of linking Aadhaar number with primary bank account number or with Government Official documents like Pan Card etc. As we all know that under the PM- KISAN scheme the release of benefits is done only through Aadhaar seeded data of beneficiaries uploaded by the State / UT Governments on the PM-KISAN portal. But Assam, Meghalaya and the UTs of J&K and Ladakh have been exempted from this till 31st March, 2020, due to less penetration of Aadhar in theseplaces.
Reason behind extension:
It has been assessed that the above mentioned places are taking more time to complete the work of Aadhaar seeding for beneficiaries and if the extension is not approved then the beneficiaries of these States / UTs may not be able to avail the benefits of the Scheme w.e.f. 1st April, 2020.
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• Assam govt launches new medicine delivery scheme called 'Dhanwantari'
On April 24, 2020, The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is now rampant across the country & many people are now in direstraits without getting the required medicine in their area during the lockdown.
In view of this, the Assam state government's health department has launched a special scheme called 'Dhanwantari', under which locally unavailable medicines will be delivered to patients at home. This medicine is free up to 200 rupees.
Key Points:
1.Dhanwantari: How it works?
If the required medicine is not available at a distance of 10 km from the house, the government will provide the medicine at home. This facility can be availed by calling 104. If this medicine is available within the district, the health department will supply the medicine within 24 hours. Similarly, 48 hours will be required for delivery from other places i.e. from the Regional Center and one week will be required for delivery from outside the State.
2.A total of 4,000 MPWs (Multipurpose Health Workers), ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers and aspirants from across the state will be directly involved in this service.
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Assam Current Affairs - May 2020
• NBWL permits coal mining in part of Assam's Dehing Patkai elephant reserve
On April 24, 2020, National Board for Wild Life (NBWL),the apex body to review all wildlife-related matters, has permitted the use of 98.59 hectares of land at Saleki, a part of the Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve in Assam for opencast coal mining project done by North-Easter Coal Field (NECF), a unit of Coal India Limited. While, the rest ofthe area may be used for underground coal mining. Key Points:
• Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve that includes the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary (also known as Jeypore Rainforest) consists of an 111.19 sq km area of rain forests and several reserve forests in Sivasagar, Dibrugby the minutes of the 57th Meeting of the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) chaired by Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Prakash Javadekar on April 17, 2020 through video-conferencing.
• Panel setup:The NBWL formed a committee in July 2019 to assess the mining sector. It consist of member R. Sukumar, a representative of the wildlife division and the state chief wildlife warden of Assam. As per the committee, 57.02 hectares of forest land has already been used for mining by Coal India Limited and that in the remaining 41.39 hectares of unbroken area should be adopted cautiously due to the rich biodiversity.
• Centre gives environmental clearance for drilling & testing of hydrocarbons in Assam's DibruSaikhowa Park
On May 20, 2020 Public Sector Undertaking(PSU) major Oil India Ltd(OIL) informed that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEF&CC) gave environmental clearance for extension drilling
Page 24 of 88 ASSAM CURRENT AFFAIRS 2020 and testing of hydrocarbons at 7 locations inside the Assam's Dibru-Saikhowa National Park(NP) from about 1.5 km distance outside the boundary of the forest with the he lp of the Extended Reach Drilling(ERD) technology by which can reach the target depth of around 3.5 km beneath the surface of the NP without carrying out any drilling activity inside theNP.
The clearance was given as part of the Centre's target to reduce 10% imports and the Northeast Vision 2030, & the commercial production from this area shall also enable Oil to meet the same centre's target
Key Point : OIL affirmed that use of ERD technology will not disturb the environment and the NP situated in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts
Background :
• To establish the fact that OIL will not enter the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park area, OIL went through an elaborate process to obtain the necessary approvals from statutory bodies like MoEF&CC after fulfilling the stringent guidelines and adhering to various compliances • In order to tap the hydrocarbon resources underneath the Park, the company had approached statutory bodies for obtaining necessary permissions in 2016 on the basis of the ERD technology.
About ERD :
The ERD techniques are widely used to cut hydrocarbon targets far from the surface or areas of the reservoir which otherwise are difficult to access. By using this technology, wells can be drilled up to a depth of about four kilometers from the existing well foundation without entering the protected area.
Other approvals :
Union Environment and Forest Minister & Chairman of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) Prakash Javadekar has approved a coal-mining project in the Saleki reserve forest which is a part of the Dihing Patkai Elephant Reserve(a part of Dihing Patkai wildlife sanctuary) spread over Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts through video conference in April. Dihing Patkai is known as the 'Amazon of the Easť. About MoEF&CC:
Union Minister-Prakash Javadekar(Constituency- Maharashtra)
Minister of State-Babul Supriyo(Constituency- Asansol, West Bengal)
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• Himanta Biswa Sarma presented Rs 1,03,762 cr Assam Budget for FY 2020-2021
On March 6, 2020, Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma presented Budget for Assam for the financial year 2020- 21. He presented his fifth and final budget as the finance minister of Sarbananda Sonowal-led government. • Gross State Domestic Product of Assam: At current prices) is projected to be Rs 4,08,627 crore.
• Total expenditure: For 2020-21 it is estimated to be Rs 1,03,762 crore.
• Total receipts (excluding borrowings): These are estimated to be Rs 92,231 crore.
• Revenue surplus: It is targeted at Rs 9,154 crore, or 2.24% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
• Fiscal deficit It: is targeted at Rs 9,383 crore (2.3% of GSDP). In 2019-20, the fiscal deficit is estimated to be Rs21,531 crore (5.92% of GSDP).
• Revenue expenditure: For 2020-21 is proposed to be Rs 82,777 crore
• Growth rate: From 2016-17 to 2019-20 is 12.38%.
Highlights from Budget:
• Assam to acquire 1.65% additional stake worth Rs 1,500 Crore in Numilagarh Refinery Ltd (NRL). • Taxes: State sales tax on petrol and diesel cut by 50 paise. Agriculture tax has been withdrawn. No new tax proposals in the budget speech. No hike in excise, forest tax and GST. • Subsidy: Income support of Rs 830 per month will be provided to 27 lakh families through direct benefit transfer mode. Rs 2,800 crore has been allocated for this purpose. • Free rice: It will be provided to all beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act, as part of the Anna Yojanainitiative. Rs 472 crore has been allocated for this initiative for the year 2020- 21. • Entrepreneurship: Two lakh youth of the state will be covered under the revised Swami Vivekananda Youth Empowerment Yojana to encourage youth to form entrepreneurial groups.
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Seed capital of Rs 50,000 will be provided to each member of such groups to initiate entrepreneurial activities. Rs 1,000 crore has been allocated for this purpose. • Study assistance: Admission fee waiver, free textbooks & uniforms in Government Schools. Rs 1000 will be provided to 1 lakh students for textbooks. Textbook assistance of Rs 1500 and Rs 2000 for students at graduate and postgraduate levels. • Electric vehicle registration fee to be cut by half for women owners. Click here to find complete report:https://finassam.in/budget documents/
• India, Bangladesh sign pact to operationalise 5 more ports of call & 2 new routes
On May 20, 2020 India & Bangladesh signed the 2nd Addendum to the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade in Dhaka. Under this pact- Increased 5 more ports of call from earlier 6(Total- 11) & extended 2 ports of call in each country; 2 new Indo Bangladesh Protocol(IBP) routes(from 8 to 10) & new locations are also added to the existing routes to facilitate the trade between two countriesIt was signed by the High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh, Riva Ganguly Das, and Bangladesh Shipping SecretaryMohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury.
Parts :
•New Ports-
The new ports of call in India are Dhulian, Moya, Kolaghat, Sonamura and Jogigopha& in Bangladesh will be Rajshahi, Sultanganj, Chilmari, Daudkandi and BahadurabadInclusion of Jogigopha and Bahadurabad will provide connectivity to Meghalaya, Assam and Bhutan. Jogigopha also becomes important, since a Multimodal Logistics Park is proposed to be established there.
• Significance of new ports :
The new Ports of Call will enable the loading and unloading of cargo transported on the Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route and provide a stimulus to the economic development of the new locations and their hinterland.
Extended Ports are: In India- Tribeni (Bandel) will be under Kolkata Port of Call and Badarpur will be under Karimganj Port of Call. In Bangladesh-Ghorashal under Narsingdi district will be under Narayanganj Port of Call and Moktarpur under Munshigaj district will be under Pangaon Port of Call
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Existing ports of call: In India- Kolkata, Haldia, Karimganj, Pandu, Shilghat and Dhubri. In Bangladesh- Narayanganj,Khulna, Mongla, Sirajganj, Ashuganj and Pangaon
• Routes :
The inclusion of Sonamura (India). Daudkandi (Bangladesh) stretch of Gumti river (93 km) as IBP route No. 9 & 10 in the protocol will improve the connectivity of Tripura and adjoining States with Indian and Bangladesh's economic centres and will help the hinterland of both the countries. This route shall be connecting all existing IBP routes from 1 to 8.
• Key Points:
• Under this Protocol, Inland vessels of both the countries can ply on the desi gnated protocol route and dock at Ports of Call in each country, notified for loading/unloading of cargo. • There is significant improvement in the movement of cargo vessels in an organized manner on the protocol route carrying both the transit cargo to the North East (NE) region of India and vice- versa and export-cargo to Bangladesh. • The Indian transit cargo is mainly coal, fly-ash, POL and ODC for power projects in NE region. Fertilizers, cement, food grains & agricultural products are among other potential cargo for movement • The export cargo from India to Bangladesh is mainly fly-ash which is to the tune of 30 lakhs MT per annum. Around 638 inland vessels (including 600 Bangladeshi flag vessels) completed annually with about 4000 loaded voyages. • The modifications will facilitate trade between two countries with improved reliability and cost effectiveness. Use of shallow draft mechanized vessels Both countries have agreed o introduce trade between Chilmari (Bangladesh) and Dhubri (India) through the use of shallow draft mechanized vessels, provided these are registered under Inland Shipping Ordinane 976 of Bangladesh or Inland Vessels Act, 1917 of India as per provisions of Article 1.3 of the Protocol and conform to safety requirements.
Significance-
Will allow export of stone chips and other Bhutanese and North East cargo to Bangladesh and easy access for the traders to the hinterland of Bangladesh, enhancing the local economy Bangladesh and the lower Assam region of India.
• Background :
• Protocol, which was first signed in 1972 (immediately after independence of Bangladesh) and since then the two countries have renewed the agreement through PIWTT (Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade).
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• It was last renewed in 2015 for 5 years with a provision for its automatic renewal for a further period of five years giving long term assurance to various stakeholders. • During the discussions between India and Bangladesh at these meetings held in October, 2018 in New Delhi and in December 2019 in Dhaka, key decisions were taken on the extension of protocol routes, inclusion of new routes and declaration of new Ports of Call. These decisions have been made effective with the signing of the 2nd Addendum to the Protocol.
• What is "Port of call"?
As per the shipping Monitoring, Reporting and Verification(MRV) regulation, a "port of call" can be defined as the port of a country where cargo or a passenger (cruise) ship halts to discharge or load the cargo or to embark or disembark passengers.
• Freedom fighter Padma Shri Gandhian Hema Bharali passed away at 101
On 29th April 2020, Freedom fighter and Padma Shri Gandhian Hema Bharali well known as Freedom Activist, social worker, Sarvodaya leader passed away due to prolonged illness at her home in Guwahati at the age of 101 and a spinster. She was born in Assam on 19th February 1919. Key Points:
• Hema Bharali participated in the relief operations during the earthquake in North Lakhimpur in 1950 and helped the people in the Assam- Arunachal Pradesh border in the Chinese aggression in 1962. • Hema Bharali was a front ranking Leader of VinobaBhave'sBhoodan Movement and she engaged herself in rural development, strengthening of national integration, spread of basic education and removal of social discrimination. • She contributed to women empowerment and made efforts to uplift the socially and financially challenged section of the society. • Awards: In 2005 She received the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in the Republic of India from of Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam. • In 2006, The National Foundation for Communal Harmony under the Ministry of Home Affairs awarded her the National Communal Harmony Award and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Memorial Award for National Integration from the Assam government.
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Assam Current Affairs - June 2020
• Centre approved funds for implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in Odisha, Meghalaya, Assam & Bihar
On the lines of the announcement made by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 regarding Jal Jeevan Mission(JM) which aims to provide “Functional Household Tap Connection" (FHTC) to 18 Crore rural households of thecountry by the year 2024, the Centre has approved funds for the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in the followingstates during FY2020-2021: Centre approves Rs 812 crore for implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in Odisha
Centre has approved a higher allocation of Rs 812 crore for implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in Odisha during2020-21 in comparison to the Rs 297 crore in FY19-20. The government of Odisha is planning to provide over 16 lakhhousehold connections in 2020-21 with a target of 100% household tap connections by the year 2024.PriorityPriority is being given for 100% coverage of villages under water- scarce areas, quality-affected areas, Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojna villages, villages in Aspirational Districts and SC/ST dominated habitations.
Odisha was allocated Rs 2,258 crore under the 15th Finance Commission Grants to Panchayati Raj Institutions(PRIs) during 2020-21. 50% of the amount has to be mandatorily spent on water and sanitation. Centre approves Rs 175 crore for implementation of JJM in Meghalaya
Centre has approved 175 crore rupees for implementation of JJM in Meghalaya during 2020-21. The allocation hasbeen made on the basis of the Annual Action Plan presented by Meghalaya to National JM, Ministry of Jal Shaktiunder which the statehas proposed 100% tap connections to all the households by December, 2022.
In FY20-21, out of 5.89 lakh total rural households, the State will provide 1.80 lakh tap connections.
The State has been allocated Rs. 182 Crore under 15th Finance Commission Grants to PRIs during 2020- 21; 50% ofthis amount has to be mandatorily to be spent on water and sanitation.NotablyNotably, Meghalaya is blessed with more than average rainfall and has abundant natural water resources. However, due to detrimental human interference, the water levels are depleted.
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Centre approves Rs 1,407 crore for implementation of Jal jeevan mission in Assam during 2020-21
Centre has approved Rs 1,407 crore for implementation of JJM in Assam during the year 2020-21. Assam has plannedto provide functional tap connections to 13 lakh rural households in 2020-21, out of total 63 lakh households. The state also planned to immediately provide household tap connections to all remaining households belonging toweaker and marginalised sections on a priority basis. Centre allocates over Rs 1,832.66 cr for implementation of JJM in Bihar
Centre has allocated Rs. 1832.66 crore for implementation of JJM in Bihar during 2020-21. Bihar is planning toprovide tap connections to the remaining 1 crore 50 lakh households in 2020-21 therefore the state will have 100% coverage of all households with functional tap water connections by 2020-21.
Jal Jeevan Mission (UJM) has been launched in partnership with States, to enable every household in villages to have aFHTC within the premises by 2024. Arunachal Pradesh plans to provide tap connection to all rural households by March 2023 :
Govt of India approved Rs 255 Crore for the State under Jal Jeevan Mission (JIM) in 2020-21. The State proposed toprovide 100% tap connections to all the households by March, 2023. Out of 2.18 lakh total rural households, the Stateis planning to provide 77,000 tap connections in 2020-21.
The State has been allocated Rs. 231 Crore under 15th Finance Commission Grants to PRIs during 2020- 21.Being implemented inmented in partnership with States, the Mission aims to enable every rural household has assuredavailability of potable water at a service level of 55 litres per capita per day (Iped) on regular and long-term basis soas to bring improvements in lives of rural folks.
Puducherry plans to provide tap connections to all rural households in 2020-21
National Jal Jeevan Mission has approved the Annual Action Plan of Puducherry for FY2020-2021 under which household tap connections will be provided to remaining households.
The UT has been advised to focus on 24*7 service delivery in rural areas, so that the villages can act as 'utilities with focus on 'service delivery.It's also planned to conduct Internet of Things (IoT) based sensor monitoring for water supply in villages.
It should be noted that all the above states are giving emphasis on the "low-hanging fruits" i.e. in the villages/ habitations where piped water supply schemes already exist, so that remaining households could be provided with tap connections easily in very less time. About IIM
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It aims to enable every rural household has assured availability of potable water at a service level of 55 litres per capita per day (Ipcd) on regular and long-term basis. As a mission target, all states are presenting their implementation plans to the National level Committee headed by Secretary, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Govt. of India for approval.
The estimated outlay of the mission is Rs 3.60 Lakh Crore with Central and State share of Rs. 2.08 Lakh Crore and Rs.1.52 Lakh Crore respectively.
FPI Minister Harsimrat Kaur Launches Food Processing Edition of Exclusive Investment Forum Hosted by Invest India
On June 22, 2020, The Union Minister of Food Processing Industries (FPI) Harsimrat Kaur Badal has launched the Food Processing Edition of the Exclusive Investment Forum (Webinar) hosted by Invest India.
The Forum, aims to conduct detailed interaction between leading global companies in the food processing sector and policy makers of the central and 6 State Governments (Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh). Discussion at the Forum:
A total of 180 companies from 18 countries participated in the forum, which saw the discussion over the critical aspects for investment decisions ranging from policy incentives, industrial zones, infrastructure capabilities and special investor facilitation services were discussed at the forum so as to make India the next Global Investments hub. Badal at the Forum:
• As per Badal, there is a need to make the western world aware of the superfoods of India. In addition, there is a lot of opportunity in the ready to eat segment, in which global retailers may consider having Indian food in their stores. • Government also decided to form Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGOS)' and 'Project Development Cell' (PDC) in Ministries / Departments to boost the domestic as well as foreign investments in food processing sector. • As companies are moving away from countries they were importing food products from different countries, we should promote 'go vocal for local thought of PM Modi and use our domestic food products. About Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI):
Headquarters - New Delhi
Minister of State (Mos) – RameswarTeli
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SCL Das to head the committee constituted by Petroleum Ministry to inquire the Assam oil well disaster
On June 12 2020, A 3-member high-level committee was formed by the Petroleum Ministry to inquire the disaster at Oil India Ltd well in Assam. The panel will be headed by Director General of Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), SCL Das, other members of the panel include BC Bora former ONGC(Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) chairman and T K Sengupta former ONGC director. The objective of the Panel: To identify the lapses in following laid down protocols and procedures which led to the incident and submit a report in a months time.
Note: The committee will also recommend short and long term measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents. How did the disaster happen? on May 27, 2020, a blowout occurred when natural gas mixed with condensate started flowing uncontrollably from one of the wells of Oil India Ltd (OIL) in Baghjan fields in Tinsukia district of Assam subsequently the well caught fire on June 8, 2020, spreading to about 200 m around the well and claiming two lives of OIL India firefighters. What is being done to control the fire?
Engineers and an expert team from Singapore based M/s Alert with Crisis Management Team and V.P. Mahawar, Ex-Director (Onshore) of ONGC with the efforts of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been trying to tame the 4-day fire to the mouth of well, which needs capping to completely extinguish the fire.Evacuation of the people around the region is being done to ensure the safety of the people. OIL India has provided financial aid of Rs.30,000 to each the affected families. About the Petroleum Ministry:
The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas is concerned with the exploration and production of Oil & Natural Gas, refining, distribution and marketing, import, export and conservation of petroleum products
Minister of Petroleum and Natural gas- Dharmendra Pradhan
Padma Shri Pritam Singh, a pioneer in management education passed away at 78
On 3rd June 2020, The Management guru, Padma Shri Pritam Singh, who contributed more than 50 research papers and 7 books on management education in India and abroad passed away at the age of 78 at a hospital in Gurugram due to cardiac arrest.
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About Pritam Singh:
Career:
• He served as the Director of Management Development Institute(MDI), Gurgaon (1994-1998 & 2003-2006) andIndian Institute of Management(IIM), Lucknow (1998-2003) and Director General of RP-Sanjiv Group which promoted the International Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi (2011-2014). • He chaired the sub committee on Institutional Management and Leadership Development in Higher Education bythe Planning Commission for the 12th 5 year plan(2012-2017). • He was a member of the Ministry of Home Affairs Committee for capacity building of IPS officers. • He was a board member of 10 private and public sector organisations supporting them in chartering a corporatestrategy.
Awards:
• He received the Padma Shri in 2003 in the field of Management Education. • He was the first asian to receive the “Global Thought Leader 2006-2007" from the Moscow InternationalBusiness School MIRBIS. • He was the recipient of Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan Memorial Award: Teacher of Teachers in 2009 and theVivekananda Foundation honoured him with the Lifetime Achievement Award. • The first Award for Academic Leadership in Management Education' at the Inaugural session of All IndiaManagement Association's (AIMA's) Knowledge 2009 was conferred to him.
Authored Books:
The Leadership Odyssey, published in 2015, Millennials and the Workplace published in 2012, In Search of ChangeMaestros published in 2011 and Organizing and Managing in the Era of Globalization published in 2010are some ofthe books authored and edited by Pritam Singh.
About AIMA:
President- Sanjay Kirloskar
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Assam Current Affairs - July 2020
Assam Government to Upgrade Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary to National Park amid Coal Mining Row
On July 6, 2020, the government of Assam has decided to upgrade the 111.942 sq km Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary into a national park which is located within the larger Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve, spreading across the coal- and oil-rich districts of Upper Assam (Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Sivasagar).
• This decision followed the National Board of Wildlife's (NBWL), under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), conditional clearance to a coal mining project by Coal India Limited (CIL) in the 98.59 hectares of Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve which resulted in virtual protests in the state. Key Points:
-Background: Notably, Dehing Patkai, also known as Amazon of East, forms the largest stretch of tropical low-land rainforests in India and is believed to be the last remaining contiguous patch of low land rainforest area in Assam. Besides Asiatic elephants, leopards, hoolock gibbons, pangolins and bears, Dehing Patkai is also home to over 200 species of birds, various reptiles and many species of butterflies and orchids. It is also the place with the highest concentration of the rare endangered White Winged Wood Duck. Therefore, concerns were raised that the habitats of these species would be affected due to wanton coal mining.
-In order to expedite the process of upgrading Dehing Patkai into a national park, the state's forest department will prepare a draft notification for public hearing and will also take necessary actions for up-grading Dehing Patkai into a national park in consultation with the MoEFCC. Static Points:
• The wildlife sanctuaries are protected areas which permit some activities such as grazing but national parks require complete protection status under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. • The Dehing Patkai was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 2004. • Post upgradation, Dehing Patkai will be the 6th national park in Assam. The other five are Kaziranga, Nameri, Manas, Orang and Dibru-Saikhowa.
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Poba Reserve Forest in Assam's Dhemaji to be upgraded to wildlife sanctuary
The Chief Minister (CM) of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal has announced the upgradation of Poba Reserve Forest, a vital biodiversity hotspot in Dhemaji district of Assam, as a wildlife sanctuary. The announcement was made during a meeting with senior officials of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Majuli districts at Jonai.
• Declared in 1924 as Poba Reserve Forest, it has an area of 10,522 hectares and is home to a large number of flora and fauna. • CM also visited the Outer Jonai and BeraSapori areas in the district and took stock of the devastation caused by the flood.
Capitals of NE states to be connected through rail network by 2023
On July 17, 2020, during a virtual interaction with the media, Railway Board Chairman Vinod Kumar Yadav has announced the connectivity of all capitals of North-Eastern (NE) states through rail network by 2023. Railways is already implementing a project in this regard.
• The capitals of Assam, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh are already connected. The work to connect capitals of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya is in progress. • In Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya, the capital connectivity work is in progress. Manipur will be connected in March 2022, Mizoram in March 2023, Nagaland in March 2023, Meghalaya in March 2022 and Sikkim in December 2022.
Apart from above, attempts to connect every part of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to the railway are also underway, and the 111 km Katra-Banihal rail link project is likely to be completed by December 2022. About Railway Board:
Headquarter-New Delhi
Parent organization- Ministry of Railways
COM of Assam passes MSME Ordinance
On June 29, 2020, In a big boost to Aatma Nirbhar Assam, Council of Ministers (COM) of Assam has passed the MSME(micro, small and medium enterprises) Ordinance during the meeting held in presence of Chief Minister (CM) Sarbananda Sonowal in Guwahati.
• The Ordinance gives provision to put an end to the process of taking multiple permissions for setting up MSME in the state for next 3 years.
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Assam govt changes academic year of schools from January-December to April- March
The state government also decided to change the academic year to April-March from existing January- December in order to make-up for academic loss due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak.
Following the changes the current academic session will end on March 31, 2021 and the new academic session will start by April, 2021. Other key decisions of the meeting:
• TheCoM allocated 200 bigha of Ashok Paper Mill at Jogighopa for India's first International Multi-Modal Logistic Hubthat will help new investments, employment and trade. • A loan of Rs 338.28 crore from NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development for development works in various sectors, 15th Finance Commission Grant in the ratio of (70 % for gaon panchayat, 15 % for anchalik panchayat and 15 % for zilaparishads), amendment of the Bengal-Agra-Assam Civil Court Act, 1887, for increasing the financial limit of cases in lower courts from Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh & Assam College Employees Provincialisation Act, 2005 are also approved. • An ordinance for extension of dates of GST return has been passed & reduction in Earnest Money Deposits (EMDs) for mines auction to 0.5 % for general category and 0.25 % for SC/STs have taken during the meeting. Assam: Guwahati gets "BANDICOOT" the first manhole cleaning robot in Northeast
On 28th July 2020, Siddhartha Bhattacharya, Minister of Guwahati Development Department inaugurated Guwahati's first manhole cleaning robot named "BANDICOOT", an automatic sewer cleaning device. Guwahati became the first city in the Northeast region to get a manhole cleaning robot. BANDICOOT:
• BANDICOOT was developed by Genrobotics, an Indian startup company under the Make in India initiative. • The funding for the development of BANDICOOT was provided by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited(IOCL) under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. • The robot supports easy removal of sludge from the underground drain and will help the elimination of manual scavenging
Key Points:
• The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) procured the BANDICOOT along with 6 Skid Steer Loaders (Mini loaders) from JCB.
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• After Gurugram and Coimbatore, Guwahati is the third city to acquire the technology to clean manhole.
Recent Related News:
• Railway Protection Force of Central Railway (CR), Pune division, Maharashtra launched a Robotic 'Captain Arjun' (Always be Responsible and Just Use to be Nice) to intensify the screening and surveillance of passengers. • CSIR- Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur developed the robotic device HCARD (Hospital Care Assistive Robotic Device) to help the frontline healthcare workers in maintaining physical distance from those infected by COVID-19.
India's maternal mortality ratio declined to 113 in 2016-18: Registrar General's Sample Registration System (SRS)
In accordance with the "Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2016-18", released by the Office of the Registrar General's Sample Registration System (SRS), the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in India has declined to 113 in 2016-18 from 122 in 2015-17 and 130 in 2014-2016 and almost 100 deaths lesser than in the period of 2007-2009.
• States have been categorized into three groups namely, Empowered Action Group (EAG) States, Southern States and Other States during the survey. • The southern States registered a lower MMR — Andhra Pradesh (65), Telangana (63), Karnataka (92), Kerala(43) and Tamil Nadu (60) as compared to states of Assam & EAG viz. Assam (215), Bihar (149), Madhya Pradesh (173), Chhattisgarh (159), Odisha (150), Rajasthan (164), Uttar Pradesh (197), Uttarakhand (99) and Jharkhand (71). • In the category of other states Punjab has a maximum MMR of 129. Points to be Noted:
• The target of United Nation's (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of 3.1 is to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 1,00,000 live births. • The maximum proportion of maternal deaths during 2016-18 is 33% in the age group of 20-24. Important Terms:
Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR): It is defined as the proportion of maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births, reported under the SRS.
Maternal Mortality Rate: This is calculated as maternal deaths to women in the ages 15-49 per lakh of women in that age group, reported under SRS.
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Maternal Death: As per World Health Organization (WHO), maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management.
Sample Registration System (SRS): It is India's largest demographic sample surveys that among other indicators provide direct estimates of maternal mortality through a nationally representative sample. About Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India (ORGI):
The Office of the Registrar General, India works under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Registrar General & Census Commissioner- Dr. Vivek Joshi
Recent Related News:
On May 10, 2020, ORGI released its SRS bulletin based which has presented the estimates of Birth Rate, Death Rate, and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) for the year 2018 for India and its States/UTs.
• As per that, India's infant mortality rate (IMR) has improved very marginally from 33 per 1,000 live births in 2017 to 32 in 2018. • The death rate of India has witnessed a significant decline over the last four decades from 14.9 in 1971 to 6.2 in 2018. • There has been about an 11% decline in birth rate in the last decade, from 22.5 in 2009 to 20.0 in 2018.
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Assam Current Affairs - August 2020
• Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ Launches India Report – Digital Education June 2020 prepared by Digital Education Division of MHRD
On 28th July 2020, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ Union Minister for Human Resource Development(HRD) launched the compilation India Report – Digital Education June 2020 prepared by the Digital Education Division of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) in consultation with Education Departments of States and UTs.
The report highlights the methods adopted by the MHRD and the Education Department of States and Union Territories(UT) to ensure the accessibility to education for the children at home.
Note:
The Ministry of Human Resource Development(MHRD) was renamed as the Ministry of Education(MoE) on 29th July 2020. India Report – Digital Education:
• The report discusses on the projects to assist the students, teachers and scholars on digital education like DIKSHA, SwayamPrabha TV Channel, Online MOOC courses, On Air Shiksha Vani, DAISY by NIOS(differently-abled), e-PathShala, National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER) to develop e-content and energized books and other digital initiatives of State and UT Governments. • The social media tools like WhatsApp Group, YouTube channel, Google meet, Skype were used as a medium to connect the students. • The E-learning portals, Television, Radio and DIKSHA were majorly used by the stakeholders. • States and UTs have also distributed textbooks for children to ensure inclusive learning. Remote learning Initiatives of State Governments:
• Chhattisgarh – PadhaiTunharduvaar (Education at your doorstep) • Goa partnered with Embibe, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered online platform to support the entrance exam preparation of the students.
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• Jammu – Project Home Classes • Kerala – educational TV channel (Hi-Tech school programme) • Lakshadweep – distributed tablets with e-content for students. • Meghalaya – E-scholar portal as well as free online courses for teachers • NCT of Delhi – Mission Buniyaad • Rajasthan – SMILE (Social Media Interface for Learning Engagement) • Telangana – online certificate programs for teachers on ‘Management of mental well-being during COVID’. • Uttarakhand – uses SamparkBaithak App to provide videos, puzzles, worksheet for primary level students. Low tech forms of teaching:
• Radio talks in mother tongue and Regional Doordarshan are used for teaching in Arunachal Pradesh and districts of Jharkhand. • Classes are telecasted from a virtual control room over the local TV channels in Puducherry. • Comic books for students of classes 3 to 5 are published in Manipur. • To provide online education for students in low network area’s Ladakh collaborated with Non- governmental organisations like EMBIBE Bangalore and 17000 feet. • Haryana conducts quiz competition to engage students amid lockdown due to global pandemic. • Toll Free Call Centre and Toll Free Video call centre were started in Andhra Pradesh to support the students with limited access to TV and Radio and no access to internet. • Motoriskool and a toll free number as VFS (Virtual Field Support) were started by Chhattisgarh. • Gujarat initiated Vanchan Abhiyan,a reading campaign and Parivar no maalo- salamatanehumfaalo (family’s nest-safe and warm) to provide socio psychological support for children. • West Bengal also started a toll-free helpline number to clarify the students’ doubts. • Karnataka launched Pariksha Vani, an exam preparation program through Doordarshan • Tamil Nadu provides an online practice test for students of government and government aided for NEET exam. About Ministry of Education(MoE): The Ministry of Human Resource Development(MHRD) was renamed as the Ministry of Education(MoE) on 29th July 2020.
Union Minister– Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
Minister of State– Sanjay Dhotre.
Recent Related News:
• Union HRD Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched an Artificial Intelligence(AI) -powered mobile app called the ‘National Test Abhyas’ developed by National Testing Agency(NTA) to enable candidates to take mock tests for JEE Main and NEET.
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• Union HRD Minister releases three handbooks prepared by CBSE on Cyber security for students, 21st Century Skills and Principals’ handbook. • India’s Longest River Ropeway Inaugurated in Guwahati, Assam
On August 24, 2020 The Guwahati Passenger Ropeway Project connecting the Northern and Southern banks of the Brahmaputra River was inaugurated by the Assam State Minister of Finance, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Guwahati
Development Department(GDD) Minister, Siddhartha Bhattacharya. The ropeway service is 1.8 Kilometres long, making it the longest ropeway distance over a river in the entire country.The project is set to become operational by August 24, 2021 and has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 56 Crore. Key Points:
• The ropeway service will cover the distance in seven- eight minutes reducing the travel time between Guwahati & North Guwahati by almost one hour. • The lower terminal of the ropeway is at Kachari Ghat in Guwahati’s Panbazar, while the upper terminal is at Rajadwar village behind Dol Govinda Temple in North Guwahati. • Even Though the capacity of the cabin is 32 passengers, in order to maintain social distancing protocols due to the Pandemic only 15 passengers will be allowed in the initial phases. • The ropeway gives the passengers a glimpse of the Umananda Temple on Peacock Island and the Kamakhya shrine in the Neelachal hills. • The rope car service will give a major boost to tourism in Guwahati and will also greatly reduce the traffic congestion. Recent Related News:
• On July 7, 2020 The Chief Minister (CM) of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal announced the upgradation of Poba Reserve Forest, a vital biodiversity hotspot in Dhemaji district of Assam, as a wildlife sanctuary. • On 25th June 2020, The National Green Tribunal (NGT) formed a high level committee headed by Justice BP Katakey, former High Court judge of Gauhati, to investigate the blowout at Assam’s Baghjan oil well of Oil India Limited(OIL). • National Commission on Population: Projects India’s Population to be More Feminine by 2036
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The National Commission on Population under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) submitted the Report of the Technical group on population projections July 2020, titled “Population projections for India and States 2011- 2036”. The report projected that the India’s sex ratio of the total population (females per 1000 males) is expected to be more feminine in 2036 compared to the population as of 2011. Population projections for India and States 2011- 2036: Sex ratio:
• The report estimates the sex ratio to increase from 943 in 2011 to 957 in 2036. • Compared to 2011, the sex ratio in 18 states except Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat are expected to increase by 2036. • In 2036, the lowest sex ratio of 899 is expected to be in NCT of Delhi, followed by 900 in Gujarat and 908 in Haryana. Infant Mortality Rate:
• India’s Infant Mortality Rate(IMR) is reported to be 46 in 2010 which is expected to reduce to 30 by the end of 2031-2035. • The report projects the IMR to reduce in all the state of India in 2011 to 2035.Madhya Pradesh has the highest IMR at 58 followed by Uttar Pradesh with 57 in 2011-2015 which is expected to come down to 37 and 38 in MP and UP respectively in 2031-35. • During 2031-35, the IMR is expected to be in between 30-40 in Rajasthan, Assam, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, MP and UP. • Kerala is expected to have the lowest IMR at 9 in 2031-35 followed by Tamil Nadu from 22 in 2011-15 to 16 during 2031-35. Fertility Rate:
• Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is expected to decline from 2.34 during 2011-2015 to 1.73 during 2031- 35. • The declining fertility rate will change the age demographics of India’s population and increase the medium age from 24.9 in 2011 to 34.5 in 2036. • Bihar and UP have the higher TFR with 3.5 and 3.7 respectively which is higher than the TFR of India (2.5). Population of India:
• The report projects India’s population to increase by 25.7% in 25 years at a rate of 1% annually i.e., from 121.1 crore to 151.8 crore during 2011-36. • The population density will increase from 368 to 463 persons per square kilometer. • As per the 2011 Census India’s population was 1.21 billion which is estimated to grow by 311 million by 2036.
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Youth Population:
• Youth population (15-24 years) is expected to increase from 23.3 crores in 2011 to 25.2 crores in 2021 and then continue to decrease to 22.7 crores in 2036. • The youth population proportion to the total population is expected to become 14.9%in 2036. Decline in rate of population growth:
The population growth rate will decline by 8.4% during 2021-2031. Note:
The report projects that India will overtake China and become the most populated county around 2031. Urban Population:
• The urban population of India was 31.8% in 2011 which is projected to increase to 38.2% by 2036 which contributes 73% of the total population growth by 2036. • Delhi with 98% urban population in 2011 is expected to become 100% urban by 2036. • Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Telangana and Gujarat are expected to have more than 50% urban population by 2036. Life Expectancy:
• For men the life expectancy is expected to increase from 66 to 69 and for women it is expected to increase from 71 to 74. • Kerala could become the only Indian state to have life expectancy above 80 for women and 74 for men by 2036. • The Northeastern states are estimated to have a life expectancy of 77 for women and 73 for men by 2036. Recent Related News:
• UN’s Global Multidimensional Poverty Index: India Record Largest Reduction in Number of People Living in Poverty • Climate-friendly Cooling can cut 460 Giga Tonnes of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Cooling Emissions and Policy Synthesis Report About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW):
Union Minister– Harsh Vardhan • Assam CoM approves “Assam Non-Government Education Institutions (Regulation of Fees) Rules 2020”
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On August 10, 2020 Assam Council of Ministers approved “Assam Non-Government Education Institutions (Regulation of Fees) Rules 2020”. It seeks to regulate the fees structure of the private educational institutes in the State of Assam. Highlights:
The state Government will constitute a Fee Regulatory Committee for determination of fees for any standard or course of study in Private educational institutions.
Persons in the Committee:
The committee shall consist of five persons – a retired district judge/senior civil servant/senior police officer, chartered accountant, civil engineer, a representative from a non-government educational institution and an academician for a period of three years. Key Points:
• The fee to be payable by the students of private schools will be determined by the committee after a proper examination of the fees structure and scrutiny of relevant documents and books of accounts. • The committee shall hear complaints or initiate suo moto hearing with regard to collection of excess fee by private educational institutions. • Before setting the maximum fee the committee shall take into account the location of the school, investment incurred to set up the school, infrastructure, expenditure on administration and maintenance, strength of students, qualification of teaching staff and expenditure incurred on students. Penalty:
• The Bill has a provision to impose penalty on erring institutions upto five lakh rupees and also cancellation/withdrawal of the registration of the institution. Other Launches:
• The meeting further approved the Assam Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Scheme 2020. • The meeting also approved State Cattle and Buffalo Breeding Policy 2020. • The meeting also took decision for implementation of ‘Uberization’ scheme of Assam State Transport Corporation. Under this scheme, 668 new buses would operate for 5 years. • A decision was also taken to create 2 new companies of State Disaster Response Force.
• ‘Bajali’ becomes 34th District of Assam
The Assam Cabinet also approved the proposal to make Bajali the 34th district of Assam.
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• The Assam Government had sought ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) from the Registrar General of India, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the creation of the new district.
• Currently, Bajali is a Civil Subdivision under Barpeta district. Recent Related News:
• On June 29, 2020 Assam’s Council of Ministers approved an MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) Ordinance to end the process of taking multiple permissions to set up MSME in Assam for the next three years. • On March 24, 2020 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister(CM) EdappadiPalaniswamy announced at the Legislative Assembly that Nagapattinam district will be bifurcated and a new district (38th) will be formed with its headquarters at Mayiladuthurai. • Assam Government to Launch ‘Orunodoi’ Scheme to provide Financial Assistance
On August 12, 2020, Finance Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sharma announced that the Government of Assam will roll out the ‘Orunodoi’ Scheme, which will provide Financial Assistance of Rs. 830 per month through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme to around 17 Lakh Families in the state. It is expected to be the largest direct benefit Transfer scheme in Assam.
• The ‘Orunodoi’ scheme will be implemented from October 2, 2020 and will act as an umbrella scheme for all other government schemes for the next 5 years. Objective:
The amount provided under the ‘Orunodoi’ Scheme will help the impoverished families in the state to meet their nutritional and medical needs. Key Points:
• The scheme is applicable to eligible families to buy essential food items. Rs.400 has been allotted for the purchase of medicine, Rs.150 for vegetables, 50% off on 4 kgs of ration and 4kgs of sugar. • Around 15 to 17 thousand families in each assembly constituency are expected to be benefited by this scheme. • The Assam government will bear 210 crore rupees per month for the ‘Orunodoi’ scheme. • The amount will be transferred to the bank account of the nominated women member of the family. • Additional amounts will be added during occasions like admissions to educational institutions, puja, bihu etc. Eligibility: The selection of the eligible families will start from August 17, 2020.
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• The applicant should be a Permanent resident of the state or should be residing in the state at present. • The household income of the applicant must be less than Rs 2 Lakh per annum. • Women being the primary caretaker of the family are kept as beneficiaries of the scheme. • Priority will be given to the household with specially abled nominated female, widowed/divorced/unmarried female/separated female, specially-abled household member. Recent Related News:
• On July 6, 2020, the government of Assam decided to upgrade the 111.942 sq km Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary into a national park located within the larger Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve, spreading across the coal-and oil-rich districts of Upper Assam (Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Sivasagar). • Rajya Sabha Launches Employees Welfare Scheme in ArunJaitley’s Name: “ArunJaitley Financial Assistance for Group C Employees”. • TERI launches Early Warning System for Guwahati, Assam
Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) , fully automated web-based tool was launched by The Energy and Resources Institute’s (TERI) in association with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in Guwahati, Assam.
Objective – FEWS tool will alert the local authorities to predict flash floods and heavy rainfall in Guwahati, Assam. It will help the authorities to take timely and appropriate measures during natural disaster. The Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) project was developed under The Energy and Resources Institute’s (TERI) project supported by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA). Associated Agencies:
Assam Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), Guwahati Municipal Corporation and North-Eastern Space Application Centre (NESAC), TERI School of Advanced Studies (TERI SAS) were also involved in developing the system for Guwahati. Key Points:
• FEWS will use IMD’s weather research forecast (WRF) model to predict the flash floods and heavy rainfalls. • The FEWS system has been built with 10 metre spatial resolution.(spatial resolution describes how much detail in a photographic image is visible to the human eye, Spatial resolution of images acquired by satellite sensor systems is usually expressed in meters) • It is also inbuilt with a drainage system to predict flood at street level accuracy and is capable of predicting flood at three days in advance.
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• FEWS is also capable of visualizing flood levels and flood hotspots over google maps, which will be critical in
• Identifying the flooded areas
• Preparedness and management of issues such as Traffic disruption
• Providing relief and recovery
• In Stormwater management.
• The tool uses weather forecasting data from IMD, it simulates the expected rainfall over the city and sends alert to officials, if rainfall or flood level crosses its threshold. Note:
Guwahati will be the third city after Chennai and Mumbai to have a Flood Warning system. The Early Warning Systems at Chennai and Mumbai with three to six hours’ immediate weather updates were developed jointly by institutions of the Union Ministry of Earth Science (MoES), which has plans to set up similar systems in Kolkata and Bengaluru by 2021. Recent Related News:
• On March6, 2020 the government reconstructs the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) a multi-stakeholder &multisectoral decision making body on disaster management & appoints Union Home Minister Amit Shah as chairman. • On March 30, 2020 the government set up 11 different empowered groups under Disaster Management Act, 2005 to suggest measures to improve health, restore the economy, after a 21- day lockdown which was imposed for the control of the COVID-19. About National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
Parent Department – Ministry of Home Affairs
Chairman – Narendra Damodardas Modi, Prime Minister About India Meteorological Department (IMD)
Parent Department – Ministry of Earth Sciences
Director General – Dr. MrutyunjayMohapatra
Headquarters – New Delhi • Assam Cabinet Approves ‘Assam Skill Development University Bill’
On 27th August, 2020 the Government of Assam approved the ‘Assam Skill Development University Bill’, which provides for setting up of World Class Skill University at Mangaldoi, Darrang District at a cost of
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900 crore rupees. The University will be the first of its kind in the North-East Region and will be financed by Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Assam Industry and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary made the announcement about the setting up of the university, after a cabinet meeting. Key Points:
• The State Government of Assam has tied up with Singapore based ITE Education Service, for setting up of the Skill Development University. • Around 100 bigha land (16 hectares) is to be allotted at Mangaldoi in North Assam for the University. • The university would also be set up as a Centre of Excellence (CoE). Other Approvals:
• The State Government also decided to increase the upper age limit for State Government jobs for the category of Group III & Group IV for two years. Now unemployed youths can apply for Government jobs until the age of 40. • The Government also approved insurance to the tune of 50 Lakh Rupees to journalists, home guards and casual employees who succumbed to COVID-19 infection. • Approval was given to the long-pending Dhansiri Irrigation project in Udalguri district, which was launched in 1975. The government proposed to take a credit of Rs 116 crore from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for completion of the project. • Approval was also given to Orunodoi Scheme for providing financial assistance of Rs. 830 rupees to families with less than Rs two lakh annual income. Recent Related News:
• A 3-member high-level committee headed by SCL Das was formed by the Petroleum Ministry to inquire about the disaster at Oil India Ltd well in Assam. • The 65th edition of Amazon Filmfare Awards 2020 was held at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, Assam from 15 Feb 2020 – 16 Feb 2020. Gully Boy’ bagged the best film award.
• 5th SwachhSurvekshan 2020 Announced by Hardeep Singh Puri; Indore is India’s Cleanest City 4th Time in a Row
On August 20, 2020, during a virtual event of SwachhMahotsav organized by, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (MoS)-Independent Charge (I/C) MoHUA announced the 5th edition of the annual cleanliness urban survey of India i.e.”Swachh Survekshan 2020 (SS2020)” conducted by MoHUA. A total of 129 awards were given by the minister in which Madhya Pradesh’s Indore Creates record as India’s cleanest city for the 4th consecutive time while Gujarat’s Surat and Maharashtra’s Navi Mumbai grabbed 2nd and 3rd positions respectively.
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• SS2020, the 28 days long completely digitized and paperless nationwide survey is the world’s largest cleanliness survey covering 1.87 crore citizens of 4,242 cities, 62 cantonment boards and 92 towns along the Ganga river.
• The SS2020 was focused on 9 key areas including 3R Principles of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
• The event also saw the felicitation of MoHUA’s partner organisations in the Swachh Bharat Mission- Urban (SBM-U) viz. United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and Google. Category-wise Awards at National Level (SS2020 Awards): Above 40 Lakh Population:
• India’s Cleanest Mega City– Amdavad, Gujarat
• Best Mega City in Citizen Feedback- Hyderabad, Telangana
• Best Mega City in Innovation and Best Practices- Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• Best Self Sustainable Mega City- Bengaluru, Karnataka 10-40 Lakh Population:
• India’s Cleanest Big City– Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh (AP)
• Best Big City in Citizen Feedback- Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh (MP)
• Best Big City in Innovation and Best Practices- Ludhiana, Punjab
• Best Self Sustainable Big City- Rajkot, Gujarat
• Fastest Mover Big City- Jodhpur, Rajasthan
3- 10 Lakh Population:
• India’s Cleanest Medium City– Mysuru, Karnataka
• Best Medium City in Citizen Feedback- East Singhbhum, Jharkhand
• Best Medium City in Innovation and Best Practices- Berhampur, Odisha
• Best Self Sustainable Medium City- Bhilainagar, Chhattisgarh
• Fastest Mover Medium City- Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh (UP) 1-3 Lakh Population:
• India’s Cleanest Small City– Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh
• Best Small City in Citizen Feedback- Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh
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• Best Small City in Innovation and Best Practices- Alappuzha, Kerala
• Best Self Sustainable Small City- Tirupathi, Andhra Pradesh (AP)
• Fastest Mover Small City- Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh (MP) State Capital/Union Territories (UTs):
• India’s Cleanest Capital– New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), Delhi
• Best UT in Citizen Feedback- Chandigarh
• Best State Capital in Innovation and Best Practices- Gandhinagar, Gujarat
• Best Self Sustainable State Capital- Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (MP)
• Fastest Mover State Capital- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP) Other Awards:
• India’s cleanest city (< 1 Lakh Population)– Karad, Maharashtra
• Best City in Maximum Citizen Participation (< 1 Lakh Population)- Nandprayag, Uttarakhand
• Best City in Maximum City Participation (> 1 Lakh population)- Nagar Nigam Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP)
• Best City overall in National Citizen Led Innovation- Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh (MP)
Key Points:
• The cleanliness survey report, along with reports on SwachhSurvekshan Innovations and best practices, Swachh Survekshan Social Media Report and Report on Assessment of Ganga Towns were also released at the ‘Swachh Mahotsav’ event. • Dignitaries from all over the country, DurgaShanker Mishra, Secretary, MOHUA, Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Municipal Commissioners and swachhta warriors also attended the online event. Recent Related News:
In July 2020, MoHUA launched the 6th edition of the survey, SwachhSurvekshan 2021 which saw the introduction of a new performance category, the Prerak DAUUR Samman which has a total of five additional sub- categories -Divya(Platinum), Anupam (Gold), Ujjwal (Silver), Udit (Bronze), Aarohi (Aspiring). About Swachh Survekshan:
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Launched in 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi its objective was to monitor the performance of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which was launched on October 2, 2014, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• Mysuru was chosen as the cleanest city in India in that edition of the survey.
• The extensive sanitation survey is commissioned by the MoHUA and carried out annually by Quality Council of India (QCI). • IIT Guwahati, in collaboration with Imperial College London, develops nanoparticle ‘meta-grid’
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, India, and Imperial College London, United Kingdom, have developed nanoparticles called the ‘meta-grid’ or ‘metamaterial grid’ that makes the light-emitting diodes (LED) brighter, energy-efficient and durable.
It was jointly developed by Dr. DebabrataSikdar, assistant professor at IIT Guwahati along with Prof. Sir John B. Pendry and Prof. Alexei A. Kornyshev from Imperial College London.
NOTE: The findings have been recently published in Light: Science and Application journal of the Nature
Publishing Group. The theoretical models, developed by Dr. Sikdar, find out the optimal conditions for the design of the nanoparticle ‘meta-grid’ layer. What is Meta – grid?
Meta-grid is a specifically patterned array of nanoparticles acting as metamaterials and it is capable of exhibiting extraordinary optical properties. Features of the Meta grid:
• The nanoparticle ‘meta-grid’ enhances the light extraction and provides a wider range of optical gadgets.
• The ‘meta-grid’ can be used as drying-mediated self-assembly of nanoparticles made of silver or alternative less-lossyplasmonic materials capped with appropriate ligands, to form free-standing the Sikdar–Premaratne–Cheng ‘plasmene’ sheets.
• These monolayer sheets can be stretched for precise tuning of the plasmene’s substrate. About LED:
• LEDs are deployed in traffic lights to backlighting for electronic displays, smartphones, large billboards, decorative lightings, water purification, and decontamination of infected surfaces. • An increase in LED light output would reduce energy needs on a large scale, this might help us to put up with the increasing global warming and climate change. Components LED-chip encapsulation -
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• The LED-chip encapsulation may include: higher refractive index glasses or epoxy materials incorporated with filler powders or nanoparticle-loaded-epoxy or engineered epoxy resins.
• These materials make LED chips bulkier or their fabrication becomes more challenging and less economically viable for mass production.
• Material and composition of nanoparticles and parameters are: sizes, average interparticle spacing, distance from the surface of the LED chip
• These are optimised to achieve the maximum enhancement in light extraction from the LED chip into its encapsulating casing, over any emission spectral range of a typical LED.
Technology involved:
• The boosting transmission of light generated inside an LED chip or the encapsulate interface has been recently achieved. • This is achieved by reducing the Fresnel reflection loss at the chip or the interface, within a fixed photon escape cone, based on tuning the destructive interference phenomena with help of the ‘meta-grid’. • The technique has revealed optimal design parameters for meta-grids to produce greater light output over any narrow or broadband emission spectrum. Prototype of the embedded meta-grid LED:
• The prototype device can be modeled within one year which can corroborate theoretical predictions with experiments. • The metallic nanoparticles can be fabricated which are mostly monodisperse and have narrow spread. • The prototype may vary in size, position, flatness of grid, and variation in refractive index due to fabrication error or material defects and these cannot be avoided. • The effects of the ‘meta-grid’ on the standard commercial LEDs, based on group III–V materials are demonstrated in the developed prototype. Recent Related News:
On June 07,2020, A team of Scientists from the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), an autonomous R&D Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST) has developed a magnetocaloric material (a rare-earth-based material that can be heated or cooled by applying or removing a magnetic field) that can be used in the treatment of cancer. About Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati
Headquarters – Guwahati, Assam, India
Director – T.G Sitharam
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• Veteran Assamese Folk Singer Archana Mahanta Passed Away
Veteran Assamese folk singer Archana Mahanta passed away at the age of 72 in Health City hospital, Guwahati, Assam following a brain stroke. She was also a reputed artist of All India Radio(Guwahati). She is the wife of late Khagen Mahanta( known as ‘Bihu King’) and mother of Angaraag ‘Papon’ Mahanta, popular Indian singer and founder of the folk-fusion band Papon and The East India Company Key Info :
• She and her late husband had performed together on many occasions, popularising Assamese folk music. • The pair is known for their performance of Bihu and traditional folk songs of Assam. • Their family represents one of the most influential families in Assamese music. • Apart from Angaraag ‘Papon’ Mahanta she has a daughter, KingkiniMahanta.
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Assam Current Affairs - September 2020
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah Inaugurates “Destination North East-2020” Festival
On Occasion of World Tourism Day (i.e 27th September, 2020) Union Home Minister Amit Shah (Home Minister is also the Chairman of North-East Council) inaugurated the “Destination North East-2020” through video conference.
• The theme for Destination North East 2020 is “The Emerging Delightful Destinations”. • The four-day festival (27th September – 30th September, 2020) will promote and showcase the North East’s (NE) tourism, culture, heritage and business. • Minister of State (MoS) for Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) (Independent Charge), Jitendra Singh and Chief Ministers of Eight North East states (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura) were present during the inauguration. Destination North East:
• The Programme will feature Audio Visual presentation of tourist spots of the NE easterns and a virtual exhibition of handicraft, traditional fashion, and local products. • Destination North East is a calendar event of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, it is conceptualized with the objective of taking North East Region to other parts of India and bringing them closer to strengthen the national integration. • On September 22, 2020 MDoNER, Jitendra Singh unveiled the Logo and song for “Destination North East-2020”. Key points from the Speech:
• Highlighted the 14th Finance Commission,about the allocation for Northeast was Rs 3, 13, 375 Crore, which is 251 percent increase compared to the Rs 89, 168 Crores allocated in the 13th Finance Commission. • To improve the connectivity of North Eastern States with themselves and rest of India, 6 railway projects worth Rs. 15, 088 crores have been completed by the Government of India. • Government of India will spend Rs 553 Crore on the development of the airport and Rs 10, 000 crores on 19 road projects of 869 km length. Recent Related News:
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• On June 22, 2020 MoS of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Dr Jitendra Singh sanctioned Rs.190 crores for augmentation of healthcare facilities in the eight North Eastern (NE) States for developing infrastructure for management of infectious diseases. • On February 28, 2020, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his nod for resuming delimitation exercise in the northeastern States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland by rescinding/cancelling the February 8, 2008 order.
About Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER):
Minister of State (MoS) for Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) (Independent Charge) – Jitendra Singh
Headquarters – New Delhi • Assam Relaunched SVAYEM Scheme Worth Rs.1000 Crore to Provide Self Employment to Youths of the State
On 4th September 2020, The Government of Assam relaunched its old scheme Swami Vivekananda Assam Youth Empowerment (SVAYEM) worth Rs.1000 crore. The scheme is aimed to provide self- employment opportunities to more than 2 lakh youths of the state. SVAYEM:
The Scheme was launched as a part of the budget in 2017-2018 to benefit around 1 lakh youths.Due to lack of support from the banks, the scheme benefited only around 7000 beneficiaries.
• Features of Relaunch of SVAYEM:
i. The redesigned SVAYEM with Rs. 10000 crore budget, which is generated by the revenue of the state without banking linkage is planned to be spent in the following three months. ii. A new portal will be launched on 16th September 2020 to enable self-registration of the groups who seek to utilise the benefits of the scheme.
• Benefits: Redesigned SVAYEM will provide around Rs.50000 as a seed money to start a business venture to the qualified beneficiaries
• Eligibility:
Age: below 40years.
Qualification: should have passed matriculation and be a part of existing self-help groups, joint liability group etc. before 1st September 2020.
Other Relaunched Schemes:
• The government relaunched a Abhinandan Education Loan Subsidy Scheme, that provides Rs.50000 subsidies to the people who have taken education loan will also be relaunched. • Around 1545 people benefited through this scheme in 2019.
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• The government has approved around 5547 applications and the amount will be released in october 2020 this will cost around Rs.25 crore for the exchequer. • The government also relaunched ChahBagichar Dhan Purashkar Mela Scheme (Cash Award Scheme Tea Garden Worker) of worth Rs. 250 crore which will transfer Rs.3000 to more than 8 lakh bank accounts of the tea garden labourers of assam. • This was launched in 2017-2018 to provide Rs.2500 to each beneficiary. • This scheme benefited around 6.33 Lakh bank accounts in 2018 and will benefit 7.15 accounts in 2021.
Recent Related News:
• the Assam state government’s health department has launched a special scheme called ‘Dhanwantari’, under which locally unavailable medicines will be delivered to patients at home. • The government of Assam has decided to upgrade the 111.942 sq km Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary into a national park which is located within the larger Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve, spreading across the coal- and oil-rich districts of Upper Assam (Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Sivasagar). • Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal Launched “MukhyamantriGrammyaParibahanAchoni” & Distributed Vehicles to its Beneficiaries
On 23rd September 2020, Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister (CM) of Assam launched the “MukhyamantriGrammyaParibahanAchoni” – Chief Minister’s Rural Transport Scheme and distributed light motor vehicles to the beneficiaries under this scheme.
Sonowal announced this scheme during his 2019 Independence Day speech and following the announcement the Transport department of Assam launched the scheme.
Key People:
K.K Dwivedi, Commissioner and Secretary of Transport Department along with Adil Khan, Transport Commissioner were present during the launch event. Aim:
• To improve the rural connectivity and to bridge the connectivity gap in the villages of Assam.
• To generate employment in the villages Features:
• Under this scheme a light motor vehicle will be provided to one beneficiary per village. • The government will provide the 25% cost of the vehicle or Rs.1 lakh (whichever is less) to the entrepreneurs who are eligible for this scheme.
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• The vehicles provided under this scheme will improve the connectivity and support the situations of medical emergencies. • The first phase of the scheme with a financial outlay of Rs.100 crore would cover around 10000 villages across the state • With the subsequent phases, it is expected to cover all the 26000 villages under the scheme. Recent Related News:
i. On August 10, 2020 Assam Council of Ministers approved “Assam Non-Government Education Institutions (Regulation of Fees) Rules 2020”. It seeks to regulate the fees structure of the private educational institutes in the State of Assam. ii. The Chief Minister (CM) of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal has announced the upgradation of Poba Reserve Forest, avital biodiversity hotspot in Dhemaji district of Assam, as a wildlife sanctuary. The announcement was made during a meeting with senior officials of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Majuli districts at Jonai.
• Assam Govt Developed “Visitassam” New Mobile App for Air Passengers from Other State
On 25th September 2020, Minister for Health and Family Welfare of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the Government of Assam developed a mobile app named “Visitassam” for air passengers from other states. Visitassam enables the air passengers to download forms and fill it which can be used at the airports to reduce the time spent on the formalities for COVID-19 tests and ensures the proper social distancing among the passengers. Tatkal RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction):
• The government also introduced a change of protocol for the air passengers to take the Tatkal RT-PCR test with a payment of Rs.2200 whose result will be given within 24 hours. • The home quarantine period will be only 24 hours for the passengers whose Tatkal RT-PCR result is negative. • TheTatkal RT-PCR facility is available only in Guwahati.
Note: The free RT-PCR facility is still available whose result will be available in 3 to 5 days and the passengers tested negative will be under home quarantine for 10 days. Key Points:
• The Government has also relaxed their quarantine rules for both rail and air travelers from other states after their recovery from infection. • The passengers should be asymptomatic, they should have the required Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) certificate and discharge certificate.
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• More than 3000 Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers are working on awareness programmes on the needs of wearing masks and social distancing. Recent Related News:
• On August 12, 2020, Finance Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sharma announced that the Government of Assam will roll out the ‘Orunodoi’ Scheme, which will provide Financial Assistance of Rs. 830 per month through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme to around 17 Lakh Families in the state. It is expected to be the largest direct benefit Transfer scheme in Assam. • Flood Early Warning System (FEWS), fully automated web-based tool was launched by The Energy and Resources Institute’s (TERI) in association with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in Guwahati, Assam. • Assam govt to Provide Loan to Entrepreneurs under ‘ParyatanSanjeevani Scheme
On the occasion of World Tourism Day (WTD) 2020 i.e. on September 27, 2020, the Chief Minister (CM) of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal during a Tourism Conclave organised by government of Assam in association with Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) Limited, launched “ParyatanSanjeevani Scheme” under which loan between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 20 lakh with interest subsidy would be provided to entrepreneurs to revive the tourism industry amid the coronavirus crisis.
• As a part of the scheme loan would be given for a period of five years and a moratorium period of one year would be given to the loanee.
• Apart from above he also launched another scheme ‘ParyatanSarathi’, which will provide information about Assam tourism, facilities for bookings, tour packages, hotels along with online payment gateway options. • SBI Started Women Self-Reliance Programme in Assam
On September 19, 2020, State Bank of India (SBI) initiated “MahilaAtmanirbharshilAachani (Women Self-Reliance programme)” in Assam on the lines of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyanto accelerate Self Help Group (SHG) finance in a mission mode,. In this regard, SBI branches of Assam sanctioned 856 SHGs sponsored by NRLM with financial outlay of Rs. 38 crore.
• Notably, women SHGs of Assam are very active and rely on social collateral rather than on financial collateral.
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• The basic objective of the programme is to create a strong bonding with the SHG members besides extending credit linkages to the women SHGs nurtured and sponsored by National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), Assam for self-reliance and economic upliftment. Recent Related News:
• SBI has launched “KCC (Kisan Credit Card) Review option” on its digital agricultural solution platform, YONO (“You Only Need One”) Krishi. With this application the farmers can access their KCC limit in the virtual platform. • SBI has partnered with India’s First Real-Time Group Negotiation E-Platform, AddaCorner to launch ‘Online Home Carnival’, which will help in boosting the Real Estate market in Bangalore. Along with the launch of ‘Online Home Carnival’, AddaCorner was also launched.
About State Bank of India (SBI):
Chairperson– Rajnish Kumar
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra • Assam State Rural Livelihoods Mission (ASRLM) signs MoU with Northeast Small Finance Bank (NESFB)
On September 05, 2020, Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission (ASRLM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Northeast Small Finance Bank (NEFSB) to bring the Self-Help Groups (SHGs), producer groups and enterprises under banking network. This is the first among all State Livelihood Missions to initiate signing of MoU with new generation small finance banks.
The MoU was signed by UtpalaSaikia, State Mission Director, ASRLM and RupaliKalita, Managing Director cum Chief Executive Officer (CEO), NESFB. Key Points:
• The MoU will empower women at the grassroot level to link them with banks for loans to become entrepreneurs and engage in livelihood generation activities. • It is also expected to cater to the financial needs of SHG group members, and other high level federations like Producer Groups, Producer Collective Groups. • NESFB will enable SHG members to open Individual and Group Accounts with minimum documents in a short time span. • NESFB will provide loans to SHGs with a range of Rs. 1 Lakh to Rs. 5 Lakhs depending on proposals. North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB):
• NESFB is the first Private Bank from Assam and Northeast India. • It has presence in 164 locations across Assam.
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Recent Related News:
• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development(NABARD) provided Rs 270 crore Special Liquidity Facility(SLF) to Assam Gramin Vikash Bank in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic to support the agricultural activities of the farmers. • Siddhartha Bhattacharya, Minister of Guwahati Development Department inaugurated Guwahati’s first manhole cleaning robot named “BANDICOOT”, an automatic sewer cleaning device. Guwahati became the first city in the Northeast region to get a manhole cleaning robot.
About NESFB:
Managing Director, CEO – Rupali Kalita
Headquarters – Guwahati, Assam • Andhra Pradesh Retains Top Spot in EODB 2019 During BRAP 2018- 19 Ranking
On September 5, 2020, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs NirmalaSitharaman has virtually announced the 4th edition of State Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) Ranking for 2018-19 which was released by Department of Industrial Promotion and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of commerce and industry. In accordance with that, Andhra Pradesh (AP) topped the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) ranking 2019, followed by Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Telangana at 2nd & 3rd place respectively. Among Union Territories (UTs), Delhi bagged the top spot.
• The state of UP improved to reach the 2nd spot from 12th spot in the 2018 ranking while Telangana slipped from 2nd to 3rd position.
• It should be noted that EODB is a joint initiative by the DPIIT and the World Bank (WB) to improve the overall business environment in the States.
• Parameters: The BRAP 2018-19 included 180 reform points covering 12 business regulatory areas such as Access to Information, Single Window System, Labour regulation, Environment, land availability, construction permit.
• Reason: The reason behind this ranking is to create an element of healthy competition in states in order to achieve a larger objective of attracting investments and increasing EODB in each State. Following table shows the top 5 states and lower ranked states under State Reform Action Plan 2019:
Rank State
1. Andhra Pradesh (AP) 2. Uttar Pradesh (UP) 3. Telangana 4. Madhya Pradesh (MP)
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5. Jharkhand
States/UT with least ranking (29th) are: Arunachal Pradesh (AR), Chandigarh, Manipur, Meghalaya,
Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim and Tripura. About BRAP Ranking:
Initiated in 2015, BRAP ranking represent the EODB in the State with increased transparency, efficiency and effectiveness of the government regulatory functions vis-a-vis the business enterprises.During the assessment full weightage was given to the feedback from over 30,000 respondents at the ground level, who gave their opinion about the effectiveness of the reforms. Recent Related News:
In accordance with the data of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the United States (US) remained India’s top trading partner for the second consecutive fiscal year in 2019-20 as bilateral trade between the US and India stood at USD 88.75 billion as against USD 87.96 billion in 2018-19.
About Minister of Commerce and Industry:
Union Minister– PiyushVedprakashGoyal
Minister of State– Hardeep Singh Puri, Som Prakash
Kerala tops literacy rate chart with 96.2%; Andhra Pradesh worst performer at 66.4%: NSO. In accordance with the report on “Household Social Consumption: Education in India as part of 75th round of National Sample Survey(NSS) – from July 2017 to June 2018″ conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Kerala again emerged as the most literate state in the country with 96.2% literacy followed by Delhi (88.7%), Uttarakhand ( 87.6%), Himachal Pradesh (86.6%) and Assam (85.9%).
• On the other hand, Andhra Pradesh (AP) is the worst performer at 66.4% followed by Rajasthan at 69.7%, Bihar (70.9%), Telangana (72.8%), Uttar Pradesh (73%) and Madhya Pradesh (73.7%).
• The survey provided state-wise detail of literacy rate among the persons aged seven years and above.
• The overall literacy rate in India is pegged at 77.7% where rural areas have 73.5% literacy rate and urban areas has 87.7%.
• Literacy rate: Literacy rate is defined as the percentage of literate persons among persons of age 7 years and above.
Objective :- to create the participation of persons aged 3 to 35 years in the education system, creating indicators of the expenditure incurred on the education of household members and various indicators of those who are not currently attending education.This survey enclosed with both qualitative and quantitative aspects related to educational fulfilment of the household members.
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• Qualitative aspects included literacy, educational level attained, type of institution, nature of institution, current attendance/enrolment, free education, reason for never enrolled/ever enrolled but currently not attending, etc.
• Quantitative aspects, information was collected on expenditure incurred on education of the household members by the household itself, by other households or by any institutions/organizations other than Government. Key Points:
-At national level, the male literacy rate is higher at 84.7% compared to 70.3% among women.
-Also, the male literacy rate is higher than the female literacy rate among all states.
• In Kerala, the male literacy rate is 97.4% compared to 95.2% among females and in Delhi stood 93.7% higher than 82.4% among females.
• In the worst performing states, there was a considerable gap in male and female literacy rate like in AP the male literacy rate is 73.4%, and female literacy rate is 59.5%.
• In Rajasthan, the gap is even wider as male literacy rate stood at 80.8% compared to 57.6% of females and in Bihar the male literacy rate was 79.7% compared to 60.5% of females.
-The report also revealed that nearly 4% of rural households and 23% of urban households possessed computers.
-Among persons aged 15-29 years, nearly 24% in rural areas and 56% in urban areas were able to operate a computer. About NSO 75th round (July 2017-June 2018) Survey:
NSO 75th round was conducted during 1st July 2017- 30th June 2018 under which 9 items were covered for broad coverage of information. The survey covers whole of the Indian Union except the villages in Andaman and Nicobar Islands which are difficult to access.
• This survey covered 1,13,757 households (64,519 in rural areas and 49,238 in urban areas) and enumerated 5,13,366 persons (3,05,904 in rural areas and 2,07,462 in urban areas). A total number of persons of age 3 to 35 years surveyed was 2,86,456 (1,73,397 in rural areas and 1,13,059 in urban areas).
• The Survey Design and Research Division (SDRD) of NSO undertook the development of the survey methodology and the field work is carried out by Field Operations Divisions (FOD) and the data processing and tabulation work was done by Data Quality and Assurance Division (DQAD). Recent Related News:
In accordance with the annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for [July 2018 – June 2019] of NSO, India’s unemployment rate fell between July 2018 and June 2019 to 5.8% from 6.1% during the same
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About Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)
Minister of State (Independent Charge)– Rao Inderjit Singh
Secretary– Pravin Srivastava
Director General (NSS)– Vijay Kumar
Gujarat, Andaman & Nicobar Emerge as Best State/UT in providing Strong Ecosystem for Startups: DPIIT ranking
On September 11, 2020 Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) released the 2nd Edition of ‘States on Support to Startup Ecosystems 2019’ . The Rankings are based on providing a Strong Ecosystem for promoting Startups.
• Gujarat emerged as the best performer among Category X.Gujarat topped the rankings in the 2018 edition of Ranking also.
(In Category x – All States and New Delhi, barring North Eastern (N. E) States & other Union Territories (U. T))
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands emerged as best performer among Category Y
(Category y – All N.E states except Assam and all UTs except Delhi).
• The Rankings were released by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, PiyushGoyal and a total of 22 states and 3 UTs participated in the exercise.
Rankings:
For the purposes of ranking, states/UTs are classified into five categories: Best Performers (100 Percentile), Top Performers (More than 75 to Less than 100), Leaders (More than or equal to 30 to less than or equal to 75), Aspiring Leaders (More than 10 and less than 30) and Emerging Startup Ecosystems (Less than or equal to 10).
Category – X
All States and New Delhi, barring North Eastern (N.E) States & other Union Territories.
State Category
Gujarat Best Performer
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Karnataka Top Performer
Kerala Top Performer
Category – Y
All N.E states except Assam and all UTs except Delhi
State/Union Territory (U.T.) Category
Andaman & Nicobar Islands Best Performer
—– Top Performer
Chandigarh Leader
Other Performers: Category X:
i. Bihar, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Chandigarh were placed in Leaders Category. ii. Haryana, Jharkhand, Punjab, Telangana, Uttarakhand and Nagaland were placed in Aspiring Leaders Category. iii. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram and Sikkim were placed in Emerging Startup Ecosystems. Category Y:
i. Nagaland was placed in Aspiring Leader Category. ii. Mizoram& Sikkim were placed in Emerging Startup Ecosystems. Basis for Dividing into Categories:
The States and UTs have been divided into two groups to establish uniformity and standardisation in the ranking Process Ranking Framework:
i. The ranking framework 2019 has seven broad reform areas consisting of 30 action points ranging from institutional support, easing compliances, relaxation in public procurement norms, incubation centres, seed funding, venture funding, and awareness and outreach. ii. The parameters also involved getting feedback from beneficiaries gathered through 60, 000 calls to connect with beneficiaries to ascertain real situations at the implementation level. Other Info:-
The National Report and Specific Reports for all participating States and Union Territories had also been launched and it is available in Startup India Portal.
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National Report – highlights the vision, trajectory, methodology and the future roadmap of the States Ranking Exercise.
State Specific Report – containing a comprehensive analysis of respective ecosystem, which highlights strengths and priority areas for future A ‘Compendium of Good Practices’ adopted by various States in supporting start-ups has also been released. It identifies 166 good practices. Initiatives for Startups:
i. Government launched Startup India Action Plan in January 2016 to promote startups in the country. ii. The aim of Startup India Action Plan is to give incentives like tax holiday and remodel Inspection regimes and capital gains tax exemption.
Note – The DPIIT has created an India Investment Grid (IIG), an interactive investment portal providing details of sectors, states and projects to ease the domestic and foreign investors. Recent Related News: online portal called the
i. On May 8, 2020 Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Giriraj Singh (chief guest) presented the award to the winners of “Startup India-Animal Husbandry Grand Challenge”. iii. On June 25, 2020, According to the report, ‘Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) 2020; the New Normal for the Global Startup Economy and the Impact of COVID-19’ released by Startup Genome, Bangalore,Bengaluru Becomes India’s Only City in Top 30 with 26th position.
About DPIIT:-
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is a central government department under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Secretary – Guruprasad Mohapatra. • IIT Guwahati Collaborates with University of Pardubice, Czech Republic for Data Protection Project
A Team of Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati have collaborated with University of Pardubice, Czech Republic to work towards developing indigenous algorithms to protect the Country’s digital data from cyber- attacks by advanced computers. Team of Researchers:
The Indian team is led by Dr. Gaurav Trivedi, Associate Professor, Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, IIT Guwahati, Professor Srinivasan Krishnaswamy, Assistant Professor, Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering, IIT Guwahati. Professor ZdenekNemec and Professor Jan Pidanic from the University of Pardubice.
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The team also consists of Research Scholars Bikram Paul, UddipanaDowerah, Tarun Kumar Yadav, Balbir Singh, Abhishek Agarwal, MeenaliJanveja and Souradip Pal from IIT Guwahati. Recognitions:
The work has been published in the IEEE International Conference Radioelektronika (RADIOELEKTRONIKA). It received 3rd best paper award by IEEE Czechoslovakia Section based on its research contributions.
Work of the Research Team:
i. It has developed Post-Quantum Cryptography(PQC)-based encryption algorithms, and designed indigenous soft Internet Protocols (IPs), which will be integrated into System-On- Chip (SoC) to protect the computers from cyber-attacks. iv. These algorithms and IPs will protect critical data such as national security data and citizen information through an unbreakable lock-and-key. v. The Team has developed Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) architecture for Internet-of- Things (IoT) applications in the healthcare sector, which will encrypt and decrypt data for transmission across the Internet. It will be suitable for low power IoT applications too. Background:
• The recent advances in Computer Science, such as development of Quantum Computer has opened up many possibilities as well as enormous threats. • Once Quantum Computers become the workhorses in the future, they can be used to easily break the sensitive data protected by encryption, which will make all the data obsolete and vulnerable. • These threats have given rise to a new field of research called “Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)” and research teams all over the globe, which are working on developing algorithms to secure data from attacks by advanced computers.
Recent Related News:
i. IITRoorkee Develops “Unisaviour” – Disinfection Box to Sterilise Personal Belongings to minimise the COVID-19 transmission. ii. The IIT, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to develop a biotechnology based water treatment system for the purification of sewage water flowing into the rivers Ganga and Godavari through the SPRING Project.
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• Syeda Anwara Taimur, Assam’s 1st and only Woman CM Passed Away
On September 28, 2020 Syeda Anwara Taimur, Assam’s first and only woman Chief Minister(CM) passed away in Australia due to cardiac arrest. She was around the age of 83. She is the 1st Muslim woman CM of any state in India. She was born on November 24, 1936 in Assam, British India.
• She is a 4 time(1972, 1978, 1983 and 1991) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and a 2 times Rajya Sabha MP- Member of Parliament (nominated in 1988 and elected in 2004).
• She had an illustrious political career spanning over 4 decades. Key Info About Syeda Anwara Taimur
i. Syeda Anwara Taimur prior to entering into politics served as the Economics lecturer in Devicharan Barua Girls College at Jorhat in 1956. ii. She was the CM of the state from December 1980 to June 1981 as a member of the Congress during the height of the anti-foreigners’ agitation in the State. Her tenure ended as the state was put under president’s rule. iii. She was a leader of the Indian National Congress party in Assam and a member of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). iv. She served as the Public Works Department(PWD) and agriculture minister of the state from 1983 to 1985. She joined the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in 2011.
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Assam Current Affairs - October 2020
Kati Bihu” Festival Celebrated in Assam “
On17th October 2020, Kati Bihu is one of the set of three Bihu festivals (agricultural festivals) was celebrated in the state of Assam.The Kati Bihu is also known as Kangali Bihu, the festival of the poor (the word “Kongal” means “poor”) is celebrated in mid-October when the crops are at growing stage and the granaries of the farmers are depleting. Celebration of Kati Bihu:
• The Kati Bihu is celebrated with the lamp called ‘Saki’ which is lit on the tips of bamboo poles in the fields which represents a guide to spirits and earthen lamps are lit in the garden, under the tulsi plants and in the granaries. • The farmers chant spells to ward off the negativity and pests in the field and pray for a prosperous harvest. • The locals of Assam celebrate the festival by lighting diya in their fields and homes and perform cultural dance and organise feasts. Other Bihu Festivals:
• Bohag or Rongali Bihu is celebrated during the mid-April as the Assamese new year. During the Bohag Bihu the fields are prepared for the paddy cultivation. • Magh or Bhogali Bihu is celebrated during the mid-January as a spring festival to mark a successful harvest and full granaries.
• Nitin Gadkari Laid Foundation Stone for India’s first Multi-modal Logistic Park in Assam Virtually
On October 20, 2020 Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs(Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) virtually laid the foundation stone for India’s first Multi-modal Logistic Park(MMLP) at Jogighopa in Assam. Rs 693.97 crore park will provide direct air, road, rail and waterways connectivity to the people.
• The park will be developed under the BharatmalaPariyojana of the Government of India. • It is being created by National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), owned by the
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Ministry of Road Transport & Highways(MoRTH).
MoU between NHIDCL and Ashoka Paper MillsOn the occasion for sharing land and logistics in Jogighopa, a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) was signed Between NHIDCL and Ashoka paper mills, Government of Assam. About the 1st MMLP:
• It is being developed in 317-acre land along the Brahmaputra. • The 1st phase of construction is scheduled to be completed by 2023. • Already, Rs 280 crore worth work have been awarded including Rs 171 crore for road construction, Rs 87 crore for erecting the structure, and Rs 23 crore for rail lines. iv.Construction work will start in November 2020. • The project is expected to create direct or indirect employment to about 20 lakh youth in the State. Forthcoming Roads and Rail Line constructions:
A 4-lane road will be constructed to cover the distance of 154 km between Jogighopa and Guwahati.
A 3-km rail line will be constructed to connect Jogighopa station to the MMLP.
Another 3-Km rail will be constructed to connect MMLP to IWT(Inland Water Terminal).
For easier connectivity, the road to newly developed Rupsi airport will be upgraded to 4-lanes. Key Info -
• NitinGadkari stated that MoRTH envisages to develop 35 MMLPs in India, of which the Detailed Project Report(DPR) and feasibility report preparation is ongoing. • MMLP will have all the facilities like, warehouse, railway siding, cold storage, custom clearance house, etc., Statements made by Nitin Gadkari in Regard to National Highway
• MoRTH has plans for National Highway(NH) works worth Rs 80,000 crore in Assam.
• Within this financial year, NH works for 575 km worth Rs. 3,545 crore will be completed.
• By next year, NH works of about Rs 15,000 crore will be awarded, while DPRs for works of Rs 21,000 crore will be completed for the State.
• A 203 km NH length of Rs 610 crore has been approved for 2020-21, under the Central Road Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) scheme.
• On the NH in Assam, a total of 12 accident black spots have been identified. Of them, 3 have been temporarily improved. By 2023, all the black spots will be eradicated.
Key People
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Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister of Assam, Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State(MoS) (Independent Charge), Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space among others participated in the event. Recent Related News:
i. On 30th August, 2020 Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin JairamGadkari inaugurated three important bridges, two road improvement projects. He laid the foundation stone for four other major bridge projects across the rivers Wainganga, Bandiya, Perikota and Perimili in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra with an outlay of Rs. 777 Crores. ii. On 17th August, 2020 Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways, Nitin JairamGadkari laid the foundation stone for 13 highway projects and inaugurated a Road Safety Project in Manipur through video conference.
• 5 States to get Conservation Centres to protect vultures: Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025
In accordance with the Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025 which was approved on October 5, 2020 by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), the five states viz. Uttar Pradesh (UP), Tripura, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will get vulture conservation and breeding centre each.
• Also, as a part of this plan there will be establishment of four rescue centres, in Pinjore (Haryana), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Guwahati (Assam) and Hyderabad (Telangana). Currently there is no dedicated rescue centre for treating vultures.
• The focus of this plan is to prevent the declining vulture population especially of the three Gyps species (a genus of Old World vultures native to India) viz. Oriental white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), and Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus).
• It should be noted that the previous action plan was formulated in 2006 for three years.
Key Points from Action Plan:
–A new veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) will be tested on vultures before their commercial release.
• NSAIDS often poisons cattle whose carcasses the birds prey on.
• Notably, vultures are also known as nature’s cleanup crew as they do the work of cleaning up after death by acting as natural carcass recyclers, helping to keep ecosystems healthy.
–This plan mooted a system of automatically removal of drug from veterinary use if it is found to be toxic to vultures, with the help of the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).
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–There will be Conservation breeding of red-Headed vultures and Egyptian vultures and the establishment of at least one vulture-safe zone in each state.
–In order to get a more accurate estimate of vulture population, there will be Coordinated nation-wide vulture counting, involving forest departments, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), research institutes, non-profits and members of the public. Vulture Multi-Species Action Plan:
Vulture Multi-species Action Plan (Vulture MsAP) was adopted at the Twelfth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP12) held in Manila, the Philippines in 2017.
• In 2020, the first strategy of Vulture MsAP plan was launched at CMS COP13 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat held on February 15-22, 2020. Recent Related News:
i. On August 15, 2020, PM Narendra Modi announced the “Project Dolphin” for the conservation and protection of the Dolphins in the country. The Project Dolphin will involve conservation of Dolphins and the aquatic habitat through use of modern technology specially in enumeration and anti-poaching activities. ii. On August 15, 2020, PM Narendra Modi announced “Project Lion” for the conservation of endangered Asiatic Lion involving habitat development by engaging modern technologies in management and addressing the issue of diseases in lion and its associated species through advanced world-class research and veterinary care. The project would also address the Human-Wildlife conflict. About National Board for Wildlife (NBWL):
The NBWL is constituted by the Central Government under Section 5 A of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA).
It serves as an apex body to review all wildlife-related matters and approve projects in and around national parks and sanctuaries.
• It is chaired by India’s Prime Minister.
• Sarbananda Sonowal Launched ‘Kritagyata’, 1st of its kind webportal to Expedite Pension Claims in Assam along with “CyberSafety” campaign.
On October 1, 2020, the Chief Minister (CM) of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal launched an on-line pension submission and tracking system “Kritagyata” during a function held at Assam Administrative
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Staff College in Guwahati. Created on the lines of “Bhabhisya” portal of Government of India, Kritagyata is first portal of its kind among all the states in the country for the convenience of pensioners by expediting their pension-related claims.
• Through this portal, the retired state government employees can submit pension-related papers online and have the facility to check the status of pension.
• The portal has been launched as a pilot project for the teachers and employees under Inspector of Schools of Kamrup Metropolitan district, and will further be extended for state govt employees. Cyber safety awareness campaign launched in Assam:
Assam Police celebrated its 70th foundation day, i.e. Assam Police Day on October 1, 2020. On this occasion Sarbananda Sonowal launched a month-long “CyberSafety” campaign to raise awareness on cyber crimes and safety. It will be jointly conducted by the Assam Police and cyber-security think tank Cyber Peace Foundation (CPF).
• The campaign will focus on major aspects of cyber safety through programmes on digital platforms, webinars, radio campaigns and activities targeted at people of various age groups, particularly school- going children.
• The programmes will be hosted on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Recent Related News:
i. On August 24, 2020 The Guwahati Passenger Ropeway Project connecting the Northern and Southern banks of the Brahmaputra River was inaugurated by the Assam State Minister of Finance, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Guwahati Development Department(GDD) Minister, Siddhartha Bhattacharya. The ropeway service is 1.8 Kilometres long, making it the longest ropeway distance over a river in the entire country. ii. On June 29, 2020 Assam’s Council of Ministers approved an MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) Ordinance to end the process of taking multiple permissions to set up • Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal Launches “Swa-nirbharNaari : Atmanirbhar Asom”
On October 8, 2020, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched “Swa-nirbharNaari: Atmanirbhar Asom” for empowering the economically disadvantaged women in the State. Key Points:
i. The scheme is expected to create more than 3.72 Lakh Sustainable Individual Assets and 822 Community Assets.It will benefit around 4 Lakh Families. ii. It will be implemented in convergence with several schemes of Assam state government departments and missions such as Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission, Agriculture &
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Horticulture, Fishery, Environment & Forest, Handloom & Textiles, Sericulture, Veterinary & Animal Husbandry. Individual & Community Asset Creation:
i. Five activities will be implemented in all Development Blocks in the case of Individual Asset Creation. ii. Twenty activities to be implemented in selected Development Blocks for Community Asset Creation.
Monitoring Committees:
To ensure effective implementation of the scheme, monitoring committees will be constituted from Panchayat to State Level. Importance of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI):
i. The Chief Minister highlighted the role of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) in the implementation of the scheme. ii. Prize awards of INR 3 Lakh, 2 Lakh and 1 Lakh will be given to the First Three Best Performing Panchayats. Recent Related News:
i. On 4th September 2020, The Government of Assam relaunched its old scheme Swami Vivekananda Assam Youth Empowerment (SVAYEM) worth Rs.1000 crore. The scheme is aimed to provide self-employment opportunities to more than 2 lakh youths of the state.
• Sarbananda Sonowal Laid foundation stone for India’s 1st Assam Agar International Trade Centre at Dabidubi
On October 21, 2020, the Chief Minister (CM) of Assam laid the foundation stone of Assam Agar International Trade Centre, a first-of-its-kind in India at Dabidubi in Golaghat district of Assam.
• This initiative is on the lines of doubling the farmer’s income in the state by 2022.
• This project will promote the business of the farmers as well as the entrepreneurs associated with agarwood plantation and trade in Assam which results in boosting Assam’s economy.
Point to be noted:
This trade centre will be named after Indian-Assamese freedom fighter from Assam, Swahid Kushal Konwar, in a bid to pay its tribute to the martyr. He was the only martyr in India who was hanged during the last phase of the Quit India Movement of 1942-43.
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Recent Related News:
i. On 4th September 2020, The Government of Assam re-launched its old scheme Swami Vivekananda Assam Youth Empowerment (SVAYEM) worth Rs.1000 crore. The scheme is aimed to provide self-employment opportunities to more than 2 lakh youths of the state. ii. On 23rd September 2020, Sarbananda Sonowal launched the “Mukhyamantri Grammya Paribahan Achoni” – Chief Minister’s Rural Transport Scheme and distributed light motor vehicles to the beneficiaries under this scheme.
• C-DAC & NSM Host Institutes signed a MoU to Establish Supercomputing Infrastructure in Premier Institutions Across India
On 12th October 2020, The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) With the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) Host Institutes to establish supercomputing infrastructure with assembly and manufacturing in India.
Dr. Mini Shaji Thomas, Director, NIT, Trichy and Dr. Hemant Darbari, Director General, C – DAC signed the MoU.
Purpose of the MoU:
To manufacture Critical Components at Indian Institute of Science (IISC) Bangalore, Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) (Kanpur, Roorkee, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Mandi, Gandhinagar), National Institute of Technology(NIT) Trichy, National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) Mohali and NSM Nodal Centres for training in High-Performance Computing & Artificial Intelligence (HPC & AI) at IIT (Madras, Kharagpur, Goa and Palakkad). Key People:
The MoU was signed in the presence of Sanjay Dhotre, Union Minister of State for electronics and information technology(E&IT), Education and Communications, Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary of Ministry of Electronics &Information Technology (MeitY), Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary of Department of Science & Technology(DST), Jyoti Arora, Special Secretary & Financial Adviser(FA), MeitY, Dr Rajendra Kumar, Additional Secretary, MeitY and Host Institutes. Mission:
To establish a Dependable and Secure Exa Scale Ecosystem with innovative designs, technologies and expert human resources.
Aim: To achieve complete self-reliance through developing India’s own Hardware enclosed with Exascale chip design, design and Manufacture of Exascale Server Board, Exascale Interconnects and Storage including Silicon-Photonics at C-DAC.
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Features of MoU:
i. With the state of the art supercomputing facilities this partnership will enhance the capabilities of India, empower the scientists and researchers to reach global competition and to ensure self-reliance. ii. As a part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat, the pace of the research and innovation is being enhanced using the computational science techniques by manufacturing critical supercomputer components in India. iii. The components manufactured in India include Server Board, Interconnect, Rack power controllers and Hydraulic controllers, Direct Liquid Cooled Datacenter, HPC Software Stack. Key Points:
The C-DAC has established a Supercomputing Eco-system at IIT-(BHU) Varanasi, IIT Kharagpur, Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) Bangalore. About National Supercomputing Mission(NSM):
National Supercomputing Mission(NSM) was established to provide the required computational power to the Institutes, Industry, Scientific and Research Community, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises(MSME) and Startups to provide solutions to the specific challenges of India and real life problems in Science and Technology.
Recent Related News:
i. On July 9, 2020, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) inked an agreement with the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) to install public Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations & related infrastructure in order to promote the usage of electric vehicles. iii. In order to strengthen the solar energy sector across the nation, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) and National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) virtually for ‘Strategic Association’.
About Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC):
Director General– Dr Hemant Darbari
Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra
• Jitendra Singh Released a Coffee Table Book on “Discovering the Heritage of Assam”; Authored by Kumar Padampani Bora
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On October 4, 2020 Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State(MoS) (Independent Charge-I/C) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO(Prime Minister’s Office), Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space released a Coffee Table Book on “Discovering the Heritage of Assam”. It was authored by Kumar Padmapani Bora with foreword by Amitabh Bachchan. It is published by Penguin Enterprise.
Essence of the Book
i. The book is a collection of heritage, faith, beliefs and traditions of various ethnic tribes and subtribes living in the largest State- Assam of the North Eastern Region. iv. It is divided into 5 chapters. It will serve as the cultural and heritage ambassador of the North East for the rest of the world. v. The magnificence and glory of the undiscovered attributes of Assam can be understood through this book. About Kumar Padmapani Bora
i. He is a 2009 batch Indian Revenue Service(IRS) officer. ii. He is serving as the Deputy Secretary in the Union Ministry of Textiles. iii. His 1st book was ‘North-East India in India-Asean Relations : A Strategic and Developmental Perspective’.
• Assam-Mizoram Border Dispute
Why in News
Recently, Assam-Mizoram border witnessed firing over a territory dispute, which spotlights the long- standing inter-state boundary issues in the Northeast, particularly between Assam and the states which were carved out of it.
Mizoram borders Assam’s Barak Valley and the boundary between present-day Assam and Mizoram is 165 km long. Both states border Bangladesh. Key Points - Ongoing Tussle:
• Residents of Lailapur village in Assam’s Cachar district clashed with residents of localities near Vairengte in Mizoram’s Kolasib district. • Earlier in October 2020, a similar clash took place on the border of Karimganj (Assam) and Mamit (Mizoram) districts.
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• Mizoram civil society groups blame “illegal Bangladeshis” (alleged migrants from Bangladesh) on the Assam side.
Background:
• The boundary issue between present-day Assam and Mizoram dates back to the colonial era when inner lines were demarcated according to the administrative needs of British Raj. • The issue could not be settled once and for all when the state was created in independent India. The result is both states continue to have a differing perception of the border. • Mizoram was granted statehood in 1987 by the State of Mizoram Act, 1986. • Assam became a constituent state of India in 1950 and lost much of its territory to new states that emerged from within its borders between the early 1960s and the early 1970s. • The Assam-Mizoram dispute stems from a notification of 1875 that differentiated Lushai Hills from the plains of Cachar, and another of 1933 that demarcates a boundary between Lushai Hills and Manipur.During colonial times, Mizoram was known as Lushai Hills, a district of Assam. • Mizoram believes the boundary should be demarcated on the basis of the 1875 notification, which is derived from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR) Act, 1873. • Mizo leaders have argued in the past against the demarcation notified in 1933 because Mizo society was not consulted. • The Assam government follows the 1933 demarcation, and that is the point of conflict.
According to an agreement between the governments of Assam and Mizoram, the status quo should be maintained in no man’s land in the border area.In the Northeast’s complex boundary equations, clashes between Assam and Mizoram residents are less frequent than they are between other neighbouring states of Assam, like with Nagaland.
Other Boundary Issues in Northeast:
• During British rule, Assam included present-day Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya besides Mizoram, which became separate states one by one. • Currently, Assam has boundary problems with each of them.
Assam-Nagaland:
• Nagaland shares a 500-km boundary with Assam. • It achieved statehood in December 1963 and was formed out of the Naga Hills district of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh (then North-East Frontier Agency). • Violent clashes and armed conflicts, marked by killings, have occurred on the Assam-Nagaland border since 1965. • The boundary dispute is in the Supreme Court.
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Assam-Arunachal Pradesh:
• Both states have a boundary of over 800 km. • Arunachal Pradesh was granted statehood by the State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986 in 1987. • Clashes were first reported in 1992 and since then, there have been several accusations of illegal encroachment from both sides, and intermittent clashes. • This boundary issue is also being heard by the Supreme Court.
Assam-Meghalaya:
• The 884-km boundary between the two states also witnesses flare-ups. • Meghalaya came into existence as an autonomous state within the state of Assam in April 1970 comprising the United Khasi and Jaintia Hills and the Garo Hills districts. In 1972, it got statehood. • As per Meghalaya government statements, today there are 12 areas of dispute between the two states.
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Assam current affairs – November 2020
• Indo-Israeli Centre of Excellence for Vegetables Protected Cultivation
On November 2, 2020, the Chief Minister of Assam, Sabananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone of Indo-Israeli Centre of Excellence for vegetables Protected Cultivation in Khetri in the outskirts of Guwahati, Assam. Key Highlights
The centre will provide exposure to the latest Israeli technologies to the farmers of the state. It will help them in maximising their production. The centre is to provide a major boost to agricultural and horticultural production in Assam. The aim is to double farmers’ income in the region through infusion of technology in agribusiness, agriculture and food processing. Background
The region of Assam has recently undergone substantial improvement in road, air and river connectivity. It is also becoming a promising destination for trade, cultural exchange, travel, commerce and tourism. This in turn is setting the state as a gateway to ASEAN and South East Asia under the Act East Policy. Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence
The Centres of Excellence under India-Israel cooperation is spread across Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Indo-Israel Action Plan
The India-Israel Action Plan was signed in 2006. There are three phases in the plan. Phase I
The action plan of phase I was implemented between 2008 and 2010. During this phase, a number of technologies were transferred from Israel to India namely horticulture mechanization, orchard and canopy management, protected cultivation, nursery management and micro irrigation. During this
Page 80 of 88 ASSAM CURRENT AFFAIRS 2020 phase, India also imported planting machineries. The states of Haryana and Maharashtra were focused during this phase. Experts from Israel trained number of officers in the states. Phase II
A three-year Action Plan was framed for phase II between 2012 and 2015 under the Indo-Israel Action Plan. During this phase, the states such as Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan were added to the existing states. During the second phase, the activities such as water use efficiency, post harvest management, waste water use, dairying were taken up for training and improvisation. The phase was later extended. During the extended phase, states such as Tamil Nadu and Punjab were included. Phase III
This was implemented between 2015 and 2018. The same above activities were extended to other states such as Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Tripura, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand. Three Year Work Programme
Currently India is implementing the Three-Year Work Programme 2018-20. It was under this programme that the Centre of Excellence is being constructed in Assam. This is also a part of Indo-Israel Action Plan.
• Assam wins best state award in fisheries sector
On November 18, 2020, Assam won four awards in fisheries sector from the National Fisheries Development Board operating under the Ministry of Fisheries. What are the four awards won by Assam in Fisheries sector?
Assam received the best state award under the category of best hilly and North Eastern State in Fisheries. Also, the Assam Apex Cooperative Fish Marketing and Processing Federation Limited (FISHED) won the first place in the category of hilly and North Eastern Government Organization. The Nagaon district of Assam was selected the best hilly and North Eastern district category. Amal Medhi, a farmer from Nalbari district of Assam won first place under the category of hilly and North Eastern fish farmer category. What were the other fisheries awards received?
The following were the other awards received Odisha bagged the best state in marine state category Uttar Pradesh won the best state award in Inland State category All the awards carry Rs 10 lakh prize money, a shawl, a certificate and a momento. Why are the Fisheries Awards important?
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The awards are a great boost to fisheries sector, especially during the COVID-19 times. In 2019, India exported Rs 47,000 crores of fisheries. India is the second largest producer of fish in the world. Therefore, fisheries has a high contribution to the Indian Economy. It is thus, important to focus on fisheries to boost declining economic growth due to COVID-19 pandemic. What are future goals of India in fisheries sector?
India has plans to increase its fisheries exports by 50% in next five years. In value, it aims to achieve Rs 1 lakh crore of exports in next five years. What is the current status of fisheries in India?
India produces 13,7 million tonnes of fish annually (as of 2018-19). Of this, the inland fisheries constitutes 65% of the total fish production. What are the major fishing harbours in India?
There are 23 minor and five major fishing harbours in India. The major harbours are Mangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Vishakhapatnam and Kolkata.
• Tarun Gogoi, Ex-Chief Minister of Assam passed away
On November 23, 2020, Tarun Gogoi, former Chief Minister of Assam passed away due to post covid-19 complications. Mr Gogoi was diagnosed with COVID-19 in August 2020. He was then administered with the plasma therapy. The blood plasma therapy is a covid-19 treatment where the plasma of recovered covid-19 patient is injected into an active covid-19 patient. The blood plasma of recovered covid-19 patient consists of antibodies against the virus. Thus, the immune system against the virus is made stronger. This helps in speed recovery. Tarun Gogoi: Political Journey
•Tarun Gogoi was a member of the Indian National Congress and led the party to a record three consecutive electoral victories in Assam. He had served as the Chief Minister of Assam for three terms from 2001 to 2016.
•He was longest-serving Chief Minister of Assam, completing record 15 consecutive years as Chief Minister of Assam in May 2016.
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•Overall, he served six terms as a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Lok Sabha, first representing Jorhat constituency from 1971–85 and later Kaliabor from 1991–96 and then 1998–2002. The Kaliabor seat is now held by his son Gaurav Gogoi.
•He had risen to national prominence when he was elected as Joint Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in 1976 under the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
•He had later served as the General Secretary of the AICC between 1985–90 under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
•He had served as Union Minister of State in the Food and Food Processing Industry departments from 1991-96 under the then PM P V Narasimha Rao's cabinet.
•He later served four terms as a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the legislature of Assam, first representing Margherita constituency from 1996–98 and later Titabar constituency since 2001.
•In July 2014, Gogoi indicated that he might not lead the party in the 2016 Assembly elections.
• Lachit Divas observed on November 24
The Lachit Divas was celebrated in several parts of the country on November 24. The day was celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of LachitBorphuran.
About Lachit Divas
It is mainly celebrated in Assam to commemorate the heroism of LachitBorphukan. In 2017, the first country wide celebration of Lachit Divas was held. Lachit Borphukan
He was a commander in Ahom kingdom, making the most located in the present day Assam. He was known for his leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat. He is known for his heroic role in the battle to drive away the Mughal forces under the command of Ram Singh to take over the kingdom. Battle of Saraighat
The battle was fought between the Mughal forces let by Ram Singh and the Ahom forces led by Lachit Borphukan on the banks of the Brahmaputra river at Saraighat, now in Guwahati. Though the Ahom army was weaker than that of the Mughals, they defeated the Mughal by their brilliant use of the terrain, psychological warfare, Guerrilla warfare and military intelligence. This battle was the last of the attempts by the Mughals to conquer Assam.
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Mir Jumla was the subedar of Bengal when the battle was fought. However, it was due to Lachit Borphukan, Ahom won the war. During Mughal invasion, the Ahom soldiers lost their hope of winning the battle. It was Lachit’s call to the soldiers that made them fight till their last breath. Lachit Borphukan Gold Medal
It is awarded by the National Defence Academy for the best passing out cadet. This is being awarded every year since 1999. Mahabir Lachit Award
It is awarded by the Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad to the notable personalities of Assam. The cash amount of 50,000 rupees and a traditional sword is presented under the award. Ram Singh
Ram Singh was the elder son of Mirza Raja Jai Singh, the ruler of Amber. He was commissioned to invade the Ahom kingdom by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1667.
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Assam current affairs : December 2020
• Orundoi Scheme is to be launched by the Assam government in 29 districts across the state
The scheme is to be launched by the Assam government in 29 districts across the state. Through this scheme, the government seeks to empower women by transferring a minimum amount of Rs.830 each month directly to the bank accounts of the nominated female head of the household. More than 18 lakh beneficiaries have already been selected by the government under this scheme. This number is expected to reach 22 lakh after the inclusion of districts in the Bodoland Territorial Area.
The scheme was announced during the state budget 2020-21. It is to be implemented at an annual budget of 2400 crores of Rupees. The scheme is first of its kind in the country. According to the state government of Assam the scheme will suffice the basic requirement of Health and nutrition of a household. It will support the family to buy by 4 kg of pulses worth 200 rupees, medicines worth 400 rupees per month, sugar for 80 Rupees and fruits and vegetables for 150 Rupees.
The household owning tractor, four wheelers, fridge or TV are not eligible under the scheme. The amount to the beneficiaries under the scheme are to be directly transferred from the eKuber system of Reserve Bank of India. What is eKuber system?
It is the core banking solution of the Reserve Bank of India. The core banking solutions enable the banks to offer Customer centric services 24/7 from a single location. In simple words, the Core Banking Solution application of RBI is e-Kuber. This means that it is a day to day operation. (It is basically a software where RBI does all the transactions related to banking on daily basis). When money is transferred through e-Kuber system for a scheme, it reaches the beneficiary as soon as it is sanctioned.
It provides the tools and approach to make sure the data is collected at the single point of action and delivered to the point of decision.
• Voting underway in first phase of BTC election in Assam amid tight security
Voting g is underway for the first phase of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) election in Assam amid tight security arrangements. As many as 130 candidates are in fray in the first phase of BTC election and voting is taking place at 1,739 polling booths and a total of 13,59,020 voters will decide the fates of 130
Page 85 of 88 ASSAM CURRENT AFFAIRS 2020 candidates in ballot papers. Out of 21 council constituencies, 11 constituencies fall in Udalguri district while 10 constituencies are in Baksa district.
About BTC :
• The Bodoland Territorial Council was constituted under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India in 2003 after the signing of Memorandum of Settlement on 10th February 2003 between the Government of India, the Government of Assam and Bodo Liberation Tigers, to fulfill economic, educational and linguistic aspiration and the preservation of land-rights, socio- cultural and ethnic identity of the Bodos; and to speed up the infrastructure in BTC area. • The Council aims at bringing about accelerated progress to one of the most backward region of the state of Assam with special focus on the development of the Bodo people in the field of education, preservation of land rights, linguistic aspiration, culture and its ethnic identity. • Area: The BTC’s jurisdiction is over four districts of Assam — Kokrajhar, Baksa, Chirang and Udalguri — and they are collectively known as Bodoland Territorial Administrative Districts. • Communities: Major communities residing in BTC include Bodos, Assamese , Bengalis, Koch- Rajbongshis, Rabhas, Garos , Adivasis, Muslims and Nepalies, etc.
• New Height for Mount Everest
Why in News
Nepal and China have announced the revised height of Mount Everest as 8,848.86 metres. The new height is 86 cm more than the previous measurement.
Key Points
▪ The new height of 8,848.86 meters replaced the long-associated 8,848 metre- height, which was, as per a measurement carried out by the Survey of India in 1954.
▪ The common declaration meant that the two countries have shed their long- standing difference in opinion about the mountain’s height — 8,844 m claimed by China and 8,847 m by Nepal.
o Resolving the three-metre difference, attributed to China calculating the “rock height” underneath the snow and Nepal using the “snow height” which included the snowcap, was the aim of a joint project.
▪ Everest is also known as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Mount Qomolangma in China.
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▪ The mountain lies on the border between Nepal and Tibet and the summit can be accessed from both sides. ▪ Related Information:
o It gets its English name from Sir George Everest, a colonial-era geographer who served as the Surveyor General of India in the mid-19th century.
o It was first scaled in 1953 by the Indian-Nepalese Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary.
o First Survey of Everest:
• The first effort was carried out in 1847 by a team led by Andrew Waugh, Surveyor General of India.
• The survey was based on trigonometric calculations and is known as the Great Trigonometric Survey of India.
• The team discovered that ‘Peak 15’ (as Mount Everest was referred to then) was the highest mountain, contrary to the then-prevailing belief that Mount Kanchenjunga (8,582 m and the 3rd highest peak in the world now) was the highest peak in the world.
• Mount K2, at 8,611 metres above sea level, is the second highest mountain in the world.
Good Luck for your exam
Page 87 of 88 ASSAM CURRENT AFFAIRS 2020
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Page 88 of 88 Assam Current affairs 2020 ASSAM CURRENT AFFAIRS 2020 Assamedu.in
January - December
MCQ | VERY VERY IMPORTANT FOR VARIOUS GOVT EXAMS
1. IPL 2020 was held in ? (1 point)
◯ India
⚫ UAE
◯ USA
◯ Saudi Arabia
2. Who among the following has been recently appointed as the Chairman of UPSC? (1 point)
◯ Bhim Sain Bassi
◯ Sujata mehta
◯ Manoj soni
⚫ Pradeep Kumar Joshi
3. Which continent has recently been declared polio free (1 point)
◯ Asia
⚫ Africa
◯ North America
◯ None of these
4. What is the rank of India in the recently released World Happiness Index 2020? (1 point)
◯ 158
⚫ 144
◯ 132 ◯ 96
5. Recently, the Akira Miyawaki method of afforestation was introduced in which (1 point) area of Assam?
⚫ Amingaon
◯ Dhubri
◯ Karimganj
◯ Udalguri
6. Who is the present Foreign Secretary of India? (1 point)
◯ GP singh
◯ Prem singh
◯ Ajit doval
⚫ Harsh Vardhan Shringla
7. Government of which state has unveiled the world’s second tallest statue of (1 point) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel?
◯ Haryana
◯ Punjab
◯ Assam
⚫ Gujarat
8. The Northeast Frontier railway construction has built India’s largest pier bridge in (1 point) which state?
⚫ Manipur
◯ Assam
◯ Tripura
◯ Arunachal Pradesh
9. Which city hosts 65th Filmfare Awards ? (1 point)
◯ Mumbai
◯ Delhi
⚫ Guwahati ◯ Patna
10. Name the app launched by the Reserve Bank of India to help the visually (1 point) challenged identify the denomination of currency notes?
◯ ABLE
⚫ MANI
◯ CREDIT
◯ LIGHT
11. FM Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced which scheme for the poor amid (1 point) coronavirus lockdown?
◯ Anna Purna Yojana
◯ Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana
⚫ Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana
◯ Antyodaya Anna Yojana
12. Recently, which country has hosted the ‘Virtual Group of 20 (G20) summit? (1 point)
◯ India
⚫ Saudi Arabia
◯ Qatar
◯ Japan
13. The government of India unveiled the new National Education Policy (NEP) that (1 point) introduced several changes in Indian education system-from school to college level. This new policy will replace
◯ National Education Policy (NEP) 1968
◯ National Education Policy (NEP) 1992
◯ National Education Policy (NEP) 1990
⚫ National Education Policy (NEP) 1986
14. Assam govt recently announced to upgrade which wildlife sanctuary into (1 point) national park ?
◯ Bura-Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary
◯ Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary ⚫ Dihing patkai wildlife sanctuary
◯ Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary
15. Baghjan oil well of Oil India Limited is located in district of Assam? (1 point)
◯ Sonitpur
⚫ Tinsukia
◯ Dibrugarh
◯ Lakhimpur
16. Which Indian cricketer has been honoured with the ICC 2019 Spirit of Cricket (1 point) award?
◯ Rohit Sharma
⚫ Virat Kohli
◯ Kl rahul
◯ MS Dhoni
17. Which state bags first prize in state tableaux display during the Republic Day (1 point) parade 2020?
⚫ Assam
◯ Meghalaya
◯ Goa
◯ Gujrat
18. Which International organisation has declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a (1 point) Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January and a pandemic on 11 March 2020?
◯ WTF
◯ United Nations
⚫ WHO
◯ UNICEF
19. Which of the following place has becomes Assam's first ‘zero waste town? (1 point)
⚫ Titabor
◯ Dibrugarh ◯ Silchar
◯ Cathar
20. Who is the present National Security Advisor of India? (1 point)
⚫ Ajit doval
◯ Karambir singh
◯ Sanjay Mishra
◯ None of these
21. Current army chief of Indian army ? (1 point)
⚫ Manoj Mukund Naravane
◯ Bipin rawat
◯ Karambir singh
◯ None of these
22. In which district of Assam new river route between India and Bangladesh has (1 point) been opened?
◯ Sonitpur
⚫ Dhubri
◯ Cachar
◯ Udalguri
23. ICC T20 World Cup 2021 will be played at ? (1 point)
◯ Australia
⚫ India
◯ Saudi Arabia
◯ England
24. Who among the following took charge as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (1 point) (CDS)?
◯ Karambir singh
⚫ Bipin rawat
Manoj Mukund Naravane ◯
◯ Dalbir Singh Suhag
25. Who has becomes the world’s 1st deaf person to row across Atlantic Ocean? (1 point)
◯ Marlee Matlin
◯ I King Jordan
◯ Heather Whitestone
⚫ Mo O Brien
26. Which strain of coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a (1 point) respiratory illness?
◯ SARS-CoV-2
◯ SARS-CoV-1
⚫ SARS-CoV-3
◯ None of these
27. The eighth edition of the Bhairabkunda festival began in which state? (1 point)
⚫ Assam
◯ Manipur
◯ Tripura
◯ Arunachal Pradesh
28. Recently, the government of India plans to set up 13th Japanese Industrial (1 point) Township in which state?
◯ Himachal Pradesh
⚫ Assam
◯ Gujarat
◯ Rajasthan
29. Name the first country in the world to officially register a COVID-19 vaccine (1 point) named ‘Sputnik V’?
◯ USA
◯ India ⚫ Russia
◯ China
30. Who presented the Budget for Assam for the financial year 2020-21 on March 6, (1 point) 2020?
◯ Sarbananda sonowal
⚫ Himanta biswa sarma
◯ Atul bora
◯ Nirmala sitaraman
31. Which sportsperson from Assam would be the first to be offered Deputy (1 point) Superintendent of Police?
◯ Shiva Thapa
◯ Jamuna boro
⚫ Hima das
◯ None of these
32. Who won the cricket World Cup 2019 -20? (1 point)
◯ India
◯ Bangladesh
◯ Australia
⚫ England
33. The ninth edition of joint military training exercise between India-Bangladesh (1 point) SAMPRITI-IX conducted in which Indian state?
◯ Assam
◯ Mizoram
⚫ Meghalaya
◯ Tripura
34. Who is the present Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER)? (1 point)
◯ VK Singh
◯ Bijoy Krishna Handique ◯ Paban singh ghatiwar
⚫ Jitendra Singh
35. Government of which state will launch ‘Orunodoi’ Scheme, which will provide (1 point) Financial Assistance to around 17 Lakh Families in the state?
◯ Rajasthan
◯ Arunachal Pradesh
⚫ Assam
◯ Gujarat
36. Name the Assam boxer, who will be conferred with prestigious Arjuna Award? (1 point)
⚫ Lovlina Borgohain
◯ Shiva thapa
◯ Jamuna boro
◯ None of these
37. ‘Ali Aye Ligang’ the traditional agricultural festival observed by which (1 point) community of Assam?
◯ Koch
⚫ Mising
◯ Boro
◯ Rabha
38. Who is the newly elected chief secretary of Assam ? (1 point)
◯ Kumar sanjay krishna
◯ Pratik hazela
◯ GP singh
⚫ Jishnu barua
39. Who is the current chairman of isro 2020? (1 point)
◯ A. S. Kiran Kumar
◯ Shailesh Nayak
◯ K. Radhakrishnan ⚫ K. Sivan
40. Which city has won the cleanest city award in the Swachh Survekshan 2020 (1 point) survey?
◯ Jaipur
⚫ Indore
◯ Tezpur
◯ Lucknow
41. Kezang D Thongdok won the Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2020 for his (1 point) documentary “Chi Lupo”. He belongs to which state?
◯ Assam
◯ Manipur
◯ Meghalaya
⚫ Arunachal Pradesh
42. India’s only 'Golden' tiger spotted in which national park ? (1 point)
◯ Gir national park
⚫ Kaziranga National park
◯ Mahas national
◯ Jim Corbett National park
43. New summer Capital of Uttarakhand? (1 point)
◯ Nainital
⚫ Garsain
◯ Shimla
◯ Massurie