Assam Current Affairs – January 04-06, 2024

Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – January 04-06, 2024

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for the January 04-06, 2024)

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Current Affairs Assamexam

January 04-06, 2024 

North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) sanctions over ₹750 crores for 5,300 Northeast Projects

North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) has sanctioned Rs 766.47 crore and disbursed Rs 547.11 crore for 5338 projects in the NorthEast region, in diverse sectors – education & training food processing, handlooms & handicrafts, healthcare, hotels & tourism, microfinance etc.

Important Initiatives of NEDFI

  • NEDFi in collaboration with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) in setting up ₹100 crore North East Venture Fund to promote regional startups.
  • It also partners with banks, microcredit organisations and NGOs for last-mile delivery to remote areas.
  • North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) plays an important role in facilitating setting up of new industrial and service sector projects in the NE Region.
  • ₹547 crore disbursed at concessional interest rates to micro and small businesses 
  • ₹41 crore credit extended via microfinance institutions ₹53 crore direct micro lending to benefit over 9 lakh individuals.
  • ₹98 crore venture capital commitments to 67 startups.

About North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) 

  • It is a public limited company registered under the Companies Act 1956 on August 9, 1995.
  • It provides financial assistance to MSMEs in the NE region for setting up industrial, infrastructure and agriculture-related projects. 
  • It also provides micro financing through MFIs/NGOS. It also provides consultancy and advisory services to state governments, private sectors and other agencies.

Three New Frogs Discovered in Arunachal Pradesh

The Scientists have reported three new frog species belonging to new genera from Arunachal Pradesh’s Namdapha-Kamlang protected area network along the Myanmar border.

About the discovery 

  • Gracixalus patkaiensis – A translucent green tree frog with jelly-like appearance and insect-like call
  • Alcalus fontinalis – A tiny brown frog inhabiting fast-flowing hill streams with unique trickling vocalization 
  • Nidirana noadihing – A marsh-dwelling “music frog” named after the Noa-Dihing river

About Namdapha Tiger Reserve

  • It is located in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, near the international border with Myanmar.
  • It was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary under the Assam Forest Regulation 1891 on 2nd Oct.’1972. 
  • In the 1983 year it was declared as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger Scheme of the Govt. of India on 15th March 1983.

India, Nepal hold Seventh Joint Commission Meeting

The Seventh Meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission was held in Kathmandu. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Nepal counterpart NP Saud recently attended the 7th meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission.

 

Key Points

  • Nepal and India signed a long-term agreement for the export of 10,000 MW of power to India for the next 10 years. 
  • Inauguration of Cross-Border Inauguration of 3 cross-border transmission lines which was completed with the help of India (132 kV Raxaul-Parwanipur, 132 kV Kushaha-Kataiya and New Nautanwa-Mainahiya lines). 
  • An agreement for the launch of Nepali satellites was formalized between the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology and NewSpace India Limited under the Indian Space Research Organisation.
  • Inaugurated 3 132-kV cross-border transmission strains, which include the second circuits of the Raxaul-Parwanipur line and the Kataiya-Kusaha line, and the New Nautanwa-Mahiya line.

About India-Nepal Joint Commission: 

It was established in 1987 as a platform for the Foreign Ministers of both countries to review all aspects of the bilateral partnership.

Raghuram Iyer appointed as CEO of Indian Olympic Association 

Raghuram Iyer has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

His appointment follows a meticulous selection process conducted by the nomination committee of the IOA.

The appointment comes after a significant delay and repeated reminders from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). 

Raghuram Iyer’s extensive experience in sports management and administration, particularly his previous roles as CEO of Indian Premier League teams Rajasthan Royals and Rising Pune Supergiants, has been recognized as making him an ideal candidate for this position.


XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launched the PSLV-C58 XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) mission.

About XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite)

  • XPoSat is designed to study X-ray polarization in the medium X-ray band, offering insights into celestial sources’ radiation mechanisms and geometry. 
  • This study is crucial for understanding the physics behind these celestial bodies.
  • The satellite carries two main payloads, POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing).
  • It is India’s first dedicated polarimetry mission to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources.
  • It is designated for observation from low earth orbit.
  • After this launch, India became the second nation after the US to send an observatory to study astronomical sources, such as black holes, and neutron stars, among others.

Wetland City Accreditation

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has submitted three nominations from India for Wetland City Accreditation (WCA).

The nominated cities include Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), and Udaipur (Rajasthan).

 These are the first three Indian cities for which nominations have been submitted for WCA based on the proposals received from respective State Wetlands Authorities in collaboration with the Municipal Corporations.

About Wetland City Accreditation:

  • The Ramsar Convention during COP12 held in the year 2015 approved a voluntary Wetland City Accreditation system.
  • The scheme aims to promote the conservation and wise use of urban and peri-urban wetlands, as well as sustainable socio-economic benefits for local populations.
  • It recognizes cities which have taken exceptional steps to safeguard their urban wetlands and also recognizes the importance of wetlands in urban and peri-urban environments and to take appropriate measures to conserve and protect these wetlands.
  • This voluntary scheme provides an opportunity for cities that value their natural or human-made wetlands to gain international recognition and positive publicity for their efforts.

About the cities nominated for WCA

  1. Indore: Founded by Holkars. Sirpur Lake, a Ramsar Site in the city has been recognised as an important site for water bird congregation and is being developed as a Bird Sanctuary. 

A strong network of wetland mitras is engaged in bird conservation and sensitising the local community to protect Sarus Crane. 

  1. Bhopal: Bhoj Wetland, Ramsar Site is the city’s lifeline, equipped with the world-class wetlands interpretation centre, Jal Tarang. Additionally, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation has a dedicated Lake Conservation Cell. 
  2. Udaipur: The city is surrounded by five major wetlands, namely, Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Rang Sagar, Swaroop Sagar, and Doodh Talai. These wetlands are an integral part of the city’s culture and identity, help maintain the city’s microclimate, and provide a buffer from extreme events.

Union Cabinet approves overarching scheme “PRITHvi VIgyan (PRITHVI)”

The Union Cabinet recently approved the comprehensive scheme “PRITHvi VIgyan (PRITHVI)” by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. This overarching initiative, with an allocation of Rs 4,797 crore for the period 2021-26.

About PRITHvi VIgyan (PRITHVI) Scheme

Objectives:

The major Objectives of the overarching Prithvi Scheme are

  • Augmentation and sustainance of long-term observations of the atmosphere, ocean, geosphere, cryosphere and solid earth to record the vital signs of the Earth System and change 
  • Development of modelling systems for understanding and predicting weather, ocean and climate hazards and understanding the science of climate change 
  • Exploration polar and high seas regions of the Earth towards discovery of new phenomena and resources; 
  • Development of technology for exploration and sustainable harnessing of oceanic resources for societal applications ·
  • Translation of knowledge and insights from Earth systems science into services for societal, environmental and economic benefit.

The Prithvi scheme integrates five existing sub-schemes: 

  1. Atmosphere and Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems and Services (ACROSS) 
  2. Ocean Services, Modelling Application, Resources and Technology (O-SMART) 
  3. Polar Science and Cryosphere Research (PACER) 
  4. Seismology and Geosciences (SAGE) 
  5. Research, Education, Training, and Outreach (REACHOUT).

Additionally, the scheme focuses on providing advanced warning services for natural disasters like cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and earthquakes, facilitating prompt and effective disaster management. 

The scheme ensures precise weather forecasts for both land and oceans, enhancing safety and minimizing property damages in adverse weather conditions.


‘Clean and Green Village’ Programme  for Solar Power Expansion

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) is prioritizing the ‘Clean and Green Village’ theme as part of its Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP). 

About ‘Clean and Green Village’ Programme

  • Clean and Green Village’ is the fifth theme under the GPDP.
  • The programme aims to install solar power capacities on a commercial basis. 
  • It aims to develop sustainable business models for solar initiatives at the grassroots level. 
  • The programme focuses on access to safe water, sanitation, and low pollution environments for healthier lives. 
  • It emphasizes sustainable natural resource management for better livelihoods, food security, and environmental protection.
  • It aims to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG7 (affordable and clean energy) and SDG13 (climate action). 

Areas of Action: Includes 10 specific areas like Open Defecation Free (ODF) Village, Clean and Green School, promotion of Organic Farming, and more.

Initiatives and Schemes for Clean and Green Village: 

  • Organic and natural farming initiatives like Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana. 
  • Reducing chemical fertilizers through schemes like PM-PRANAM. Waste to wealth initiatives like GOBARdhan and SATAT.

Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) in Bengaluru have observed a significant shift in the habitat of numerous bird species in the Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary due to the escalating temperatures in the region.

About Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary

  • It is a protected area of India in the Himalayan foothills of West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh. 
  • It conjoins Sessa Orchid Sanctuary to the northeast and Pakhui Tiger Reserve across the Kameng river to the east. 
  • It is situated in the biodiversity hotspot of Eastern Himalayas and home to over 500 bird species.
  • It is also a part of the Kameng Elephant Reserve. 
  • It derives its name from the Red Eagle Division of the Indian army The temperate cloud forest is intermixed with dense bamboo patches and broadleaved evergreen forest across a wide altitudinal range, with conifers and rhododendrons at the higher elevations.

Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz for APSC 2024 – Set 351: January 2024, Week 3

Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz for APSC 2024 – Set 351: January 2024, Week 3

(Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

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Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

Q1. Which among the following Tiger Reserve has got the title of India’s first ‘Dark Sky Park’?

  1. Pench Tiger Reserve
  2. Manas Tiger Reserve
  3. Pakke Tiger Reserve
  4. Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve

Pench Tiger Reserve

The Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Maharashtra has been marked as India’s first Dark Sky Park and the fifth Dark Sky Park in Asia for protecting the night sky and preventing light pollution.

The reserve’s certification recognizes its commitment to protecting the night sky, reducing light pollution, and creating an ideal environment for astronomy enthusiasts and stargazers.

 

Q2. Which bank signed a MoU with the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) to provide loans to rural Self-Help Groups (SHGs)?

  1. Canara Bank
  2. Punjab National Bank
  3. State Bank of India
  4. Union Bank of India

State Bank of India

State Bank of India introduced a specialized financial product, “Svyam Siddha”, exclusively tailored for SHG women entrepreneurs seeking loans up to Rs. 5 lakhs. 

This initiative is uniquely designed to alleviate the challenges associated with extensive documentation requirements for bank loan applications and reduce the Turn Around Time (TAT).

 

Q3. Which state government has launched the MukhyaMantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyaan aimed at empowering rural women entrepreneurs?

  1. Gujarat
  2. Uttar Pradesh
  3. Bihar
  4. Assam

Assam

The Assam government launched the Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyaan (MMUA) to empower rural women entrepreneurs. 

This financial assistance scheme targets women beyond Self-Help Groups, emphasizing family planning for eligibility. The goal is to transform participants into “Rural Micro Entrepreneurs” with a ₹1 lakh annual income target.

 

Q4. India and which country has partnered to launch Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI)?

  1. USA
  2. Denmark
  3. UAE
  4. Germany

Denmark

  • Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI) is an alliance between Denmark and India to boost collaborative efforts in the sustainable energy solutions sector.
  • It aims to advance the green fuels sector, including green hydrogen, through innovation and partnerships.
  • The new alliance is a strategic initiative led by the Danish Embassy and Consulate General of Denmark in India.

 

Q5. ‘Sinomicrurus Gorei’ a new species of coral snake was discovered in

  1. Arunachal Pradesh
  2. Mizoram
  3. Madhya Pradesh
  4. West Bengal

Mizoram

Researchers from Mizoram University’s zoology department have discovered a new species of coral snake in the state.  It has been named Sinomicrurus Gorei after British India doctor Gore.

The reptile is locally known as ‘Rulṭhihna’ due to its striking resemblance to a Mizo traditional amber necklace called ‘Ṭhihna’.

 

Q6. “Panchayats Free From Gender-Based Violence – A Handbook for Elected Representatives” is released by

  1. Narendra Modi
  2. Amit Shah Shri
  3. Giriraj Singh
  4. Dharmendra Pradhan

Giriraj Singh

 

Q7. Who among the following has become France’s youngest prime minister

  1. Gabriel Attal
  2. Hassanal Bolkiah
  3. Robert Fico
  4. Srettha Thavisin

Gabriel Attal

 

Q8. The Union Minister of Ayush and Ports, Shipping & Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone for ‘Ayush Diksha’, centre in 

  1. Guwahati
  2. Prayagraj
  3. Bhubaneswar
  4. Agra

Bhubaneswar

  • Shri Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated ‘Ayush Diksha,’ a groundbreaking center at the Central Ayurveda Research Institute in Bhubaneswar.
  • The ‘Ayush Diksha’ center is set to become a hub for the advancement of human resources in Ayush, with a primary focus on Ayurveda professionals. 
  • The institution aims to foster collaboration with prominent national institutes to enhance capacity, strengthen human resources, facilitate research and development, and achieve self-sustainability for revenue generation.

 

Q9. Lanjia Saura paintings, which recently got GI tag, belong to which state?

  1. Assam
  2. Gujarat
  3. Maharashtra
  4. Odisha

Odisha

Lanjia Saura paintings, also known as ekons or iditals, are a unique style of wall mural art from Odisha. The art form belongs to the Lanjia Saura community, a PVTG largely residing in the Rayagada district. These paintings are in the form of exterior murals painted on the mud walls of homes.

Q10. Who has become the second Indian to win a gold medal in the Asian Marathon Championship?

  1. Balraj Kaushik
  2. Gaurav Karjee
  3. Man Singh
  4. Dheeraj Singha

Man Singh

  • Man Singh has become only the second Indian male athlete to win a gold medal in the Asian Marathon Championships. 
  • He won the gold medal by timing 2 hours, 14 minutes and 19 seconds. 
  • Gopi Thonakal was the first Indian male athlete to win the Asian Marathon Championship title in the year 2017.

 

Q11. Who among the following is the Chief architect of the Ram Temple?

  1. Chandrakant Bhai Sompura
  2. Ashok Singhal
  3. Arun Yogiraj
  4. Ashok Bhushan

Chandrakant Bhai Sompura

Chandrakant Sompura, the chief architect of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir, hails from a distinguished lineage of temple architects based in Ahmedabad.

Notable among their creations are iconic structures like the Somnath Temple in Gujarat, the Swaminarayan temple in Mumbai, the Akshardham temple complex in Gujarat, and the Birla Temple in Kolkata.

 

Q12. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) inaugurated the India Innovation Centre for Graphene (IICG) and a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Intelligent Internet of Things (IIoT) Sensors in

  1. Maharashtra
  2. Kerala
  3. Arunachal Pradesh
  4. Rajasthan

Kerala

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), launched two flagship programs – “Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Intelligent Internet of Things (IIoT) Sensors” and India’s first Graphene Centre “India Innovation Centre for Graphene (IICG)” today at Maker Village, Kochi, Kerala.

 

Q13. Which airport was the venue for the Wings India 2024 event?

  1. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport
  2. Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport
  3. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport
  4. Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad

Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad

  • Union Minister for Civil Aviation Shri Jyotiraditya M Scindia inaugurated Wings India 2024, Asia’s largest aviation expo, at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad.
  • The Airports Authority of India, in collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and FICCI, is organizing the biennial (after every two years) event. 
  • Wings India 2024 showcases a collection of new-generation aircraft displays, allied aviation services, auxiliary unit industries, and advancements in the tourism sector. 
  • The theme of Wings India 2024 is “Connecting India to the World in Amrit Kaal: Setting the Stage for India Civil Aviation @2047”.

 

Q14. Which state government has the Yuva Nidhi Scheme for Unemployed Youth?

  1. Uttar Pradesh
  2. Assam
  3. Karnataka
  4. West Bengal

Karnataka

  • Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated Yuva Nidhi, a scheme providing financial aid to unemployed graduates and diploma holders for two years.
  • Under the scheme, the government has committed to providing Rs 3,000 per month to degree holders and Rs 1,500 per month to diploma holders who have been unable to secure employment in the last six months and are not pursuing higher studies.

 

Q15. Who has been selected for Assam’s highest civilian award ‘Assam Vaibhav’ for 2023?

  1. Ranjan Gogoi
  2. Pranabjyoti Deka
  3. Pranjal Saikia
  4. Ratan Tata

Ranjan Gogoi

Former Chief Justice of India and current Rajya Sabha MP, Ranjan Gogoi, is set to be honored with the prestigious ‘Assam Baibhav’ award, the highest civilian award in Assam.

Ranjan Gogoi, the 46th Chief Justice of India and a Rajya Sabha MP, is the first from Northeast India to hold the CJI post. 

The Chief Minister also credited Ranjan Gogoi for his role in the establishment of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, emphasizing the significant impact of Gogoi’s Assamese roots on this historic development.

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Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 343: September 2023, Week 5

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 343: September 2023, Week 5

(Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

Quiz Home Page Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

Q1. Assam Govt. has launched the “Mukhyamantrir Atmanirbharshil Asom Abhiyan” to provide financial grant of what amount to the deserving young individuals, to improve job opportunities in the state?

  1. Rs. 2 Lakh to 5 Lakh
  2. Rs. 3 Lakh to 5 Lakh
  3. Rs. 5 Lakh to 10 Lakh
  4. Rs. 10 Lakh

Rs. 2 Lakh to 5 Lakh

 

Q2. Which village in Assam has been chosen as the Best Tourism Village of India for the year 2023?

  1. Biswanath Ghat
  2. Chunbari Gaon
  3. Ranthali
  4. Sarthebari

Biswanath Ghat

Biswanath Ghat in Assam has been chosen as the Best Tourism Village of India in 2023 by the Ministry of Tourism.

 

Q3. Which is the oldest paramilitary force in the country?

  1. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
  2. Border Security Force (BSF)
  3. Assam Rifles
  4. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

Assam Rifles

 

Q4. Which country has become Bangladesh’s leading export partner?

  1. China
  2. India
  3. United States
  4. England

India

  • India has become Bangladesh’s leading export partner, surpassing Japan and China.

 

Q5. When is Engineers’ Day celebrated in India?

  1. February 28
  2. September 15
  3. July 31
  4. December 13

September 15

 

Q6. How many elephant corridors are there in India, as per the “Elephant Corridors of India” report released by the Union Environment Ministry?

  1. 92
  2. 106
  3. 129
  4. 150

150

The “Elephant Corridors of India” report released by the Union Environment Ministry states that there are 150 elephant corridors in India.

 

Q7. India’s rank in the Global Innovation Index 2023 is

  1. 24th
  2. 29th
  3. 36th
  4. 40th

40th

India retains 40th rank out of 132 economies in the Global Innovation Index 2023 rankings published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. India’s improved significantly from its rank of 81 in 2015.

 

Q8. Who has been honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2023?

  1. Dilip Kumar
  2. Dharmendra
  3. Amitabh Bachchan
  4. Waheeda Rehman

Waheeda Rehman

 

Q9. When is the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation celebrated?

  1. September 5
  2. September 12
  3. September 19
  4. September 30

September 12

United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation is celebrated to recognize and promote economic, social, and political developments in regions and countries in the South and highlight UN efforts for technical cooperation among developing nations.

 

Q10. Who is regarded as the ‘Father of Green Revolution in India’?

  1. M.S. Swaminathan
  2. C. V. Raman
  3. Verghese Kurien
  4. Amartya Sen

M.S. Swaminathan

 

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

APSC Assam Current Affairs MCQ Quiz July 2022

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

( Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022 | Quiz Home Page Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

Q1. Pala wetlands was recently designated as ‘Ramsar sites’, it is located in which state?

  1. Mizoram
  2. Odisha
  3. Rajasthan
  4. Tamil Nadu

Mizoram

  • India now has 54 Ramsar sites.
  • The new sites include three wetlands (Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest and Pichavaram Mangrove) in Tamil Nadu, one (Pala wetland) in Mizoram and one wetland (Sakhya Sagar) in Madhya Pradesh.

 

Q2. The ‘World Day for International Justice’ was observed on

  1. July 05
  2. July 09
  3. July 15
  4. July 17

July 17

  • The Day is observed to sensitise on international justice and to promote the rights of the victims.
  • It celebrates the approval of the Rome Statute and the formation of the new international criminal justice system in 1998.
  • Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC).
  • Adopted in 1998 and entered into force on 1 July 2002.
  • Four core international crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression

 

Q3. Recently India signed a MoU with which country for the reintroduction of Cheetah and wildlife conservation?

  1. South Africa
  2. Australia
  3. Brazil
  4. Namibia

Namibia

  • MoU paves way for reintroduction of eight cheetahs in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
  • It covers cooperation on wildlife conservation and sustainable biodiversity utilisation. India will train Namibian candidates in wildlife management courses at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Dehradun.

 

Q4. The ‘National Flag Day’ is celebrated on which day in India?

  1. August 15
  2. January 26
  3. July 18
  4. July 22

July 22

  • Every year, India celebrates the National Flag Day on July 22. On the same day in 1947, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the National Flag.
  • When the members of the Indian Constituent Assembly met in the Constitution Hall in Delhi on July 22, 1947, the first thing the Assembly discussed was a motion by Jawaharlal Nehru to adopt the national flag for free India.

 

Q5. Who are the eligible beneficiaries of ‘Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana’?

  1. Senior Citizens
  2. Below-Poverty-Line populations
  3. MSME sectors
  4. Micro lenders & cooperative society

Senior Citizens

  • Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana was launched on July 21, 2017.
  • Under the scheme, senior citizens above the age of 60 can make a lump sum investment and can monthly or a yearly pension.
  • PMVVY has been extended up to 31st March, 2023. The amendment in 2020 allowed an assured rate of return of 7.40 % per annum for the year 2020-21 per annum and thereafter to be reset every year.




Q6. WHO has recently declared which outbreak as a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC)?

  1. Malaria
  2. Bird-Flu
  3. Monkeypox
  4. Tomato Flu

Monkeypox

  • This classification is one step below that of a ‘pandemic.’ WHO says the expanding monkeypox outbreak in over 70 countries is now qualified as a global emergency.
  • Established on 7 April 1948.
  • Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

 

Q7. Which movie was declared as the ‘Best Feature Film’ in the 68th National Film Awards?

  1. Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
  2. Soorarai Pottru
  3. Ayyappanum Koshiyum
  4. Mandela

Soorarai Pottru

  • Suriya and Ajay Devgn shared the Best Actor award
  • Aparna Balamurali won Best Actoress awards.
  • Sachidanandan KR was awarded Best Director.




Q8. Best Actor in the 68th National Film Awards

  1. Suriya and Ajay Devgn
  2. Ayushmann Khurrana
  3. Akash Andhadhun
  4. Vicky Kaushal

Suriya and Ajay Devgn



Q9. Which state has signed MoU with Telangana to set up an all women-run cooperative bank?

  1. Maharashtra
  2. Karnataka
  3. Andhra Pradesh
  4. Rajasthan

Rajasthan

  • Rajasthan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Telangana government’s Stree Nidhi Credit Cooperative Federation.
  • The aim is to set up the first all women-run cooperative bank in Rajasthan, on the lines of the Stree Nidhi model of Telangana.
  • ‘Rajasthan Mahila Nidhi’ fund would be operated by the women Self Help Groups for the women of SHG only.

 

Q10. The 2022 National Games of India is about to be held in which state?

  1. Assam
  2. Kerala
  3. Mahashtra
  4. Gujarat

Gujarat

  • The 2022 National Games of India will be the 36th edition of the National Games of India and will be held in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar in the state of Gujarat between 27 September and 10 October 2022.

 

Q11. Which Indian economist has been appointed the chief economist of the World Bank?

  1. Indermit Gill
  2. Kaushik Basu
  3. Raghuram Rajan
  4. Urjit Patel

Indermit Gill

  • World Bank has appointed Indermit Gill as the Chief Economist and senior vice president for development economics.
  • Indermit Gill is the second Indian, after, to become the chief economist of the World Bank. It is an international financial institution that grants loans to middle and lower-income countries.




Q12. Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest and Pichavaram Mangrove, which were recently designated as ‘Ramsar sites’ are located in

  1. Odisha
  2. Arunachal Pradesh
  3. Tamil Nadu
  4. Rajasthan

Tamil Nadu

  • India now has 54 Ramsar sites.
  • The new sites include three wetlands (Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Pallikaranai Marsh Reserve Forest and Pichavaram Mangrove) in Tamil Nadu, one (Pala wetland) in Mizoram and one wetland (Sakhya Sagar) in Madhya Pradesh.

 

Q13. Which organisation/institution has recently released India Innovation Index (2021)?

  1. Ministry of Science and Technology
  2. Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru
  3. NITI Aayog
  4. IIT Madras

NITI Aayog

  • Karnataka ranked first in the NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index (2021) for third time in a row.
  • Since 2019 India Innovation Index ranks states and union territories on the basis of innovation capabilities.

 

Q14. The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 will be held in

  1. Bangladesh
  2. India
  3. England
  4. Sri Lanka

India

  • ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be hosted by Bangladesh for the second time
  • The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 edition goes to England
  • The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2025 will be hosted by India
  • Sri Lanka will host the Women’s T20 Champions Trophy 2027


Q15. ‘International Tiger Day’ observed on

  1. July 21
  2. July 27
  3. July 29
  4. July 31

July 29

  • ‘International Tiger Day’ is observed every year across the world on July 29.
    The objective is to raise awareness among individuals, organisations, and governments about the importance of the conservation of tigers.
  • International Tiger Day was introduced in 2010 after it was discovered that 97% of tigers disappeared in the past century.
  • According to the WWF, the current population of tigers is 3,900.
  • India is home to around 70% of the world’s tiger population. Tiger population of India has increased to almost 3,000.

Current Affairs GK & Quiz Monthly – July 2022

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APSC Prelim 2018 GS Paper – Analysis of Current Affairs & GK Section Questions

APSC Prelim 2018 GS Paper – Current Affairs & GK Section Questions Analysis

Current Affairs & GK is very important sections in any General Studies papers and in APSC GS Paper too, a significant number of Questions are asked from these sections. So, analyzing the previous year’s Qs from this section can be very helpful to understand Focus Areas to study more extensively.

Q39. Which organisation was the lead agency for the BIMSTEC DMEx-2017?

  1. The National Disaster Response Force
  2. The National Disaster Management Force
  3. The National Disaster Security Force
  4. The National Disaster Rehabilitation Force
  5.  

Q40. Which Indian cartoonist won the International Award in the best caricature categoriy at the World Press Cartoon Awards 2018?

Thomas Antony

 

Q41. What does JICF stand for in the context of JICA and the NE Region?

Japan-India Coordination Forum (JICF) for Development of North-Eastern Region

 

Q42. Which country has celebrated 25th year of diplomatic ties with India in 2017?

Israel

Celebration of 25 years of India-Israel Diplomatic Relations, New Delhi (February 28, 2017)

Q43. In which city did India’s first e-court open?

Hyderabad

India’s first e-court was Sunday opened at High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad, which is the common high court for the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

 

Q44. SBI has launched a new initiative to facilitate cooperates looking to invest in India. What is it called as?

Japan Desk

State Bank of India (SBI) has launched a new initiative called ‘Japan Desk’, a first-of-its-kind initiative to facilitate Japanese corporates looking to invest in India with banking and advisory services.

 

Q45. In 103rd Indian Science Congress Prime Minister Narendra Modi coined five Es for enquiry and engineering. What do the five Es stand for?

Economy, Environment, Energy, Empathy and Equity.

 

Q46. In which Chinese city, the Indian and Chinese armies launched their 5th annual anti-terrorism exercise holding hand in hand?

Kunming

 

Q47. Which social networking giant has partnered with National Commission for Women (NCW) to offer digital literacy programme for women?

Facebook

 

Q48. What is the GDP growth of India forecast for 2018, as per latest Moody’s Investors Service Report ‘Global Macro Outlook, 2018-19?

7.3%

 

Q51. Hornbill Festival of Nagaland is celebrated in which of the following venues?

Kisama

The Hornbill Festival is held at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama which is about 12 km from Kohima. All the tribes of Nagaland take part in this festival.

 

Q56. Which Indian actor is also a recipient of Jnanpith Award in literature?

Girish Karnad

 

Q74. Who among the following writers from Assam was awarded ‘Padma Shri’in 2018?

Arup Kumar Dutta

 

Q94. Which of the following in known as the Land of Midnight Sun?

  1. Finland
  2. Spain
  3. Norway
  4. Greenland

 

Q95. Which of the following numericals stands as the extent of seawater/ocean water distance from the baseline in case of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)?

  1. 200 nautical miles
  2. 250 nautical miles
  3. 300 nautical miles
  4. 500 nautical miles

Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 293: August 07-09, 2020

Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz Set 293 : August 07 – 09, 2020

( Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

Assam 2020 Yearbook | Quiz Home Page | Quiz Monthly – July 2020 | Current Affairs Monthly – July 2020Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

Q1. Recently, the government of India plans to set up 13th Japanese Industrial Township in which state?

  1. Assam
  2. Himachal Pradesh
  3. Mizoram
  4. Odisha
A. Assam

To promote domestic manufacturing and strengthening economic ties between the two countries, India has decided to set up the 13th Japanese industrial township in Assam.

Currently, India has 12 Japanese industrial townships and a 13th is being planned.

 

Q2. Recently, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) planned to set up the first of its kind training cum production centre of silk in which state?

  1. Karanataka
  2. Assam
  3. Arunachal Pradesh
  4. West Bengal
C. Arunachal Pradesh

KVIC is a statutory body formed in April 1957, under Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act 1956 It is an apex organisation under the Ministry of MSME, with regard to khadi and village industries within India, which seeks to – “plan, promote, facilitate, organise and development of khadi and village.It took over the work of former All India Khadi and Village Industries Board.
Its head office is in Mumbai , whereas its six zonal offices in Delhi, Bhopal, Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and Guwahati. It has offices in 28 states for the implementation of its various programmes

 

Q3. Government of which state has approved the policy of reserving 50% seats for women in the village level community institutions?

  1. Assam
  2. Meghalaya
  3. Manipur
  4. Arunachal Pradesh
B. Meghalaya

The policy developed with an objective to address different grassroot problems related to gender equality and developmental issues and its main intention is to involve the active participation of women.

The policy entails: (a) Position of the Secretary of VEC will be reserved for women members in all VECs on a rotational basis. Adult women who are active community workers with leadership qualities can contest for this post.  (b) The position of Chairperson will be reserved for women in VECs where the posts of Chairperson are not held by the traditional heads which will also be on a rotation basis

 

Q4. Who among the following has been recently appointed as the new Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) of India?

  1. Girish Chandra Murmu
  2. Tushar Mehta
  3. Rupinder Singh
  4. Suri Vikramjit Banerjee
A. Girish Chandra Murmu

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is an authority, established by Article 148 of the Constitution of India. He is appointed by the President of India following a recommendation by the Prime Minister.

CAG audits all receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the state governments, including those of bodies and authorities substantially financed by the government.

 

 

Q5. Who among the following has been recently appointed as the Chairman of UPSC?

  1. Bhim Sain Bassi
  2. Sujata Mehta
  3. Manoj Soni
  4. Pradeep Kumar Joshi

D. Pradeep Kumar Joshi

Article 315 to 323 of the Indian Constitution deals with the appointment of UPSC members, functions and powers of UPSC. The President of India appoints the UPSC Chairman and other members. Each member holds office for a tenure of 6 years or till he becomes the age of 65 years.

 

Q6. Recently, which Indian state has become the first state to get ‘Tsunami Ready’ tag for its two coastal villages?

  1. Odisha
  2. West Bengal
  3. Andhra Pradesh
  4. Kerala
A. Odisha

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO has approved the recognition of Venkatraipur and Noliasahi villages of Odisha as Tsunami Ready.

With this recognition, India is the first country to implement Tsunami Ready in the Indian Ocean Region and Odisha is the first state.

Tsunami Ready is a community performance-based programme initiated by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. Its main aim of is to improve coastal community’s preparedness for tsunami emergencies to minimize the loss of life and property and to ensure a structural and systematic approach in building community preparedness.

 

Q7. First state to partner with Google to provide learning tools for schools?

  1. Odisha
  2. Kerala
  3. Maharashtra
  4. Uttarakhand
C. Maharashtra

Under the partnership the platform offers a teacher training and free resources around distance learning contracts for educators.

Google will deploy free online learning tools like G Suite for education, Google Classroom, Google Meet to enable remote learning for around 2.3 crore teachers and students of the state.

 

Q8. Who is the author of the book ‘Amazing Ayodha’?

  1. Neena Rai
  2. Narendra Modi
  3. Preeti Shenoy
  4. Ravinder Singh

A. Neena Rai

The book to tell history of Lord Rama’s birth place.

Ayodhya city is the administrative headquarters of Ayodhya district of UP. It is situated on the banks of river Sarayu.

 

Q9. Which company has surpassed Saudi Aramco to become world’s most valuable company (in terms of market capitalization)?

  1. Reliance Industries Limited
  2. Microsoft
  3. Apple
  4. Amazon.com, Inc
C. Apple

By the end of July 2020, Apple has a market valuation of $1.84 trillion, while Saudi Aramco’s is $1.76 trillion.

During the COVID pandemic, leading tech companies Amazon, Facebook, and Google are growing at very fast pace.

 

Q10. Which Indian company is ranked No 2 brand globally in FutureBrand Index 2020 list?

  1. Reliance Industries Limited
  2. Tata Group
  3. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
  4. HDFC
A. Reliance Industries Limited

Apple is top, Samsung is ranked third, followed by Nvidia, Moutai, Nike, Microsoft, ASML, PayPal and Netflix in the FutureBrand Index 2020 list

 

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Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 292: August 04-06, 2020

Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz Set 292 : August 04 – 06, 2020

( Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

Assam 2020 Yearbook | Quiz Home Page | Quiz Monthly – July 2020 | Current Affairs Monthly – July 2020Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

Q1. Recently, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar launched a 24×7 channel dedicated for Assam. Name of the channel is

  1. Assam TV
  2. Doordarshan Purnvanchal
  3. Doordarshan Assam
  4. NE Doordarshan
C. Doordarshan Assam

Channel telecasting from Doordarshan Kendra Assam situated at Guwahati. DD Assam is a channel exclusive for the state available on DD Free dish DTH, at channel no.0052.

 

Q2. Which district from Northeast region has been ranked second best in the NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District for the period of February-June 2020?

  1. Kamrup
  2. Ri-Bhoi
  3. Hailakandi
  4. Bishnupur
B. Ri-Bhoi

In January, 2018 the Government of India has launched the ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ initiative with a vision of a New India by 2022 where the focus is to improve India’s ranking under Human Development Index, raising living standards of its citizens and ensuring inclusive growth of all.

 

Q3. Union minister Prahlad Singh Patel inaugrated “Thenzawl Golf Resort”, which is the first golf course of which Indian state?

  1. Manipur
  2. Nagaland
  3. Mizoram
  4. Tripura
C. Mizoram

The project was sanctioned under the Integrated Development of New Eco Tourism under the Swadesh Darshan-North East Circuit at Thenzawl.  The project has been planned and created with an aim to provide fine quality golfing experience and this resort will generate employment for nearby villages and will promote tourism in the state.

 

Q4. How much amount was contributed by India to the India-UN development partnership fund?

  1. $10.38 million
  2. $15.46 million
  3. $20.70 million
  4. $25.20 million
B. $15.46 million

India has contributed the funds to the United Nations Office for South-south Cooperation (UNOSSC) as a permanent representative of the UN. Of this, 6 million USD to the overall fund and 9.46 million USD has been dedicated to the Commonwealth countries.

India-UN Development Partnership Fund is managed by UNOSSC which was established in 2017 with the aim to contribute to the efforts of developing countries towards the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

 

 

Q5. Which state/UT planned to develop India’s first snow leopard conservation centre?

  1. Jammu and Kashmir
  2. Himachal Pradesh
  3. Andaman and Nicobar
  4. Uttarakhand

D. Uttarakhand

The aim of the project is to secure livelihoods, conservation, sustainable use and restoration of high range Himalayan ecosystems and also conversation of snow leopards and other endangered species and their habitats, found in Himalayas.

 

Q6. “India Report on Digital Education, 2020” has been launched virtually by which Ministry?

  1. Ministry of Finance
  2. Ministry of Civil Aviation
  3. Ministry of Human Resource Development
  4. Ministry of Culture
C. Ministry of Human Resource Development

The aim of the initiative is to assist teachers, scholars and students in their pursuit of learning. Some of the major medium to connect to the students were using WhatsApp Group for all the classes, Online classes through YouTube channel, Google meet, Skype etc., Some of the major digital initiatives Like Assam has launched the Biswa Vidya Assam Mobile Application for class 6 to 10. TRIPURA has an application titled ‘EmpowerU Shiksha Darpan’ in order to facilitate student’s appraisal.

 

Q7. Which company has partnered with Prasar Bharati for AI-enabled Independence Day celebration?

  1. Microsoft
  2. Facebook
  3. IBM
  4. Google
D. Google

Google India has collaborated with Prasar Bharati and Virtual Bharat for AI-enabled Independence Day celebration of India. The participants are only required to sing the National Anthem, then goggle by using Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology will convert that voice into any of the three traditional instruments enlisted by Google – shehnai, sarangi or bansuri.

 

Q8. Recently, which IIT researchers has received the Gandhian Young Technological Innovation (GYTI) Awards 2020 for generating electricity from wet clothes?

  1. IIT Madras
  2. IIT Bombay
  3. IIT Guwahati
  4. IIT Kharagpur

D. IIT Kharagpur

Another team from the institute was separately granted the same award for addressing the problem of energy conservation and thermal management in wearable and flexible electronic devices.

 

Q9. Nokia to set up Center of Excellence (CoE) for Networked Robotics at which Indian Institute?

  1. IIT Hyderabad
  2. IISc Bangalore
  3. IIT Delhi
  4. IIIT Bangalore
B. IISc Bangalore

Nokia Center of Excellence (CoE) for networked robotics will promote interdisciplinary research involving robotics, advanced communication technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to develop socially relevant use cases across areas like emergency management, agriculture and industrial automation.

 

Q10. Who is appointed as the new Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir?

  1. Girish Chandra Murmu
  2. Rajesh Bhushan
  3. Pradeep Kumar Joshi
  4. Manoj Sinha
D. Manoj Sinha

The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir is the head of state of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. He is appointed by the President of India. A Council of Ministers led by a Chief Minister is appointed by him from the membership of the legislative assembly. He also has the power to promulgate ordinances which have the same force as the acts of the legislative assembly.

 

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Assam Current Affairs and GK Quiz – Set 291: August 01-03, 2020

Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz Set 291 : August 01 – 03, 2020

( Daily and Monthly Assam Current Affairs & GK Quiz & MCQ for APSC Exams and various Assam exams)

Assam 2020 Yearbook | Quiz Home Page | Quiz Monthly – July 2020 | Current Affairs Monthly – July 2020Current Affairs Assam Quiz - Assam exam

 

Q1. Who among the following have been awarded with “Natasurya Phani Sarma Award for the year” 2020?

  1. Dulal Roy and Arati Das Boiragi
  2. Bhola Kakoti and Nipon Goswami
  3. Uaday Shankar Siakia
  4. Aishwarya Kakati and Bhabesh Baruah
D. Aishwarya Kakati and Bhabesh Baruah

The award comprises a sarai, commendation, man bastra and a cheque of Rs 2 lakh each.

Natasurya Phani Sarma had made tremendous contributions to the cultural field of Assam and through his work. He unified the greater Assamese society cutting across linguistic, religious and all other divides.

 

Q2. Northern Railway today ran it’s first-ever Vyapar Mala Express train from Punjab and was destined to which state?

  1. Manipur
  2. Arunachal Pradesh
  3. Nagaland
  4. Tripura
D. Tripura

This train destined for Jirania in Tripura has 46 wagons. It will help small traders in moving their cargo through Railways, in a short time, cost effective, convenient and environment-friendly mode of transportation.

 

Q3. Government of India has approved the setting up of the Directorate of AYUSH in which state?

  1. Assam
  2. Meghalaya
  3. Tripura
  4. Manipur
B. Meghalaya

The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) is purposed with developing education, research and propagation of indigenous alternative medicine systems in India.

The state government has also proposed another 22 health and wellness centres for the current financial year 2020-21.

 

Q4. The government of India unveiled the new National Education Policy (NEP) that introduced several changes in Indian education system-from school to college level. This new policy will replace

  1. National Education Policy (NEP) 1968
  2. National Education Policy (NEP) 1992
  3. National Education Policy (NEP) 1990
  4. National Education Policy (NEP) 1986
D. National Education Policy (NEP) 1986

The National Education Policy was framed in 1986 and modified in 1992. The Right to Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act) provides for free and compulsory education to all children from the age of six to 14 years.  The new draft Policy recommends the extension of the Right to Education Act 2009 to all children between the ages of 3 to 18 years.

 

 

Q5. Which Ministry receives SKOCH Gold Award in digital India category for Empowerment of Tribals through IT enabled Scholarship Schemes project?

  1. Ministry of Human Resource Development
  2. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  3. Ministry of Tribal Affairs
  4. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

C. Ministry of Tribal Affairs 

The SKOCH Awards were presented over a virtual platform at the 66th SKOCH Summit at New Delhi.

Skoch Award is the highest civilian honour in the country conferred by an independent organisation. The awards recognise leadership and excellence in accelerating socio-economic changes. Conferred to people, projects and institutions.

 

Q6. Governor of which state has gave his nod to three state-capital bills and CRDA Repeal Bills 2020 recently?

  1. Uttar Pradesh
  2. Andhra Pradesh
  3. Madhya Pradesh
  4. Maharashtra
B. Andhra Pradesh

The new tri-capital plan involves setting up executive, legislative and judicial capitals at Visakhapatnam, Amaravati and Kurnool respectively.

 

Q7. United Launch Alliance (ULA) and which space agency has recently launched Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission to Red Planet?

  1. NASA
  2. ISRO
  3. JAXA
  4. CNES
A. NASA

The main aim of the Mars Perseverance Rover is to seek signs of ancient life and collect rock and soil samples for a possible return to Earth.

 

Q8. Name the book recently launched by the Union Minister Smriti Irani and Gajendra Singh Shekhawa which contains essays on Swachh Bharat Mission?

  1. Swachh Bharat Sapna
  2. Swachh Bharat Kranti
  3. Swastha Bharat
  4. Nirmal Bharat

B. Swachh Bharat Kranti

‘Swachh Bharat Revolution’ has been translated into Hindi by Shri Parameswaran Iyer, and is published as Swachh Bharat Kranti. The book aims at capturing the remarkable journey of Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) through 35 essays from various stakeholders and contributors of Swachh Bharat Missionwho have shared their perspective on this social revolution.

 

Q9. Which country will host the 6th annual meeting of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in 2021?

  1. UAE
  2. Denmark
  3. France
  4. China
A. UAE

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank which was proposed by China in 2013 and the initiative was launched at a ceremony in Beijing in 2014. The bank started operation after the agreement entered into force in 2015. The bank currently has 103 members as well as 20 prospective members from around the world. Its aim is to support the building of infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

Q10. SABIC chemical plant, which is set to become world’s first-of-its-kind to operate on 100 per cent renewable power, is in which country?

  1. Spain
  2. Qatar
  3. Ukarine
  4. Brazil
A. Spain

SABIC’s polycarbonate facility in Spain is set to become the world’s first large scale chemical production plant which will run entirely on renewable power after a major agreement was signed with , an electricity utility company Iberdrola.

 

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Assam Current Affairs – April 22 – 28, 2020

 Current Affairs Assam – April 22 – 28, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of April 22 – 28, 2020 )

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April 22, 2020


Cachar district introduces ‘Report Crowd’ web to ensure social distancing

  • In a first, the Cachar district administration has launched a portal to contain and disperse crowd accumulation and enhance social distancing during the nationwide lockdown period meant to restrict the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The webportal named ‘Report Crowd’ which would be operational along with the official website of the district administration.
  • The facility will ensure social distancing and enable the administration to disperse crowd across the district with the help of feed in the form of on-the-spot photographs with Geo tagging.
  • The facility has been introduced with the technical assistance from software firm Clappia based in Bengaluru. The firm is offering free services during the lockdown phase.
  • This kind of an portal is being introduced for the first time in Assam to ensure that social distancing is being adhered to at all cost.
  • Anyone who finds a seemingly large assembly of people at one place can simply click a photo, go to cachar.gov.in and upload the photo at the URL cacharreport.clappia.com with little details about the photograph.

Oxford University vaccine ‘ChAdOX1′ to commence human trials

  • The UK government announced that the human trial of a potential COVID-19 candidate vaccine being developed by researchers at University of Oxford will begin from April 23.
  • Earlier, scientists at the University of Oxford promised a super-fast vaccine during a virtual press conference, saying the vaccine will be available by September. According to lead researcher Professor Sarah Gilbert, their ‘ChAdOx1′ vaccine can work against the coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2.
  • The UK government will provide 20 million pounds to the Oxford research team to help fund their clinical trials, with a further 22.5 million pounds for researchers at Imperial College London.
  • In normal course of time, a vaccine takes anytime between 12-18 months. What probably separates ChAdOx1 – known as recombinant viral vector vaccine – from the rest is the time it promises to take in order to deliver mass quantities.
  • The vaccine is an adenovirus vaccine vector and was developed at Oxford’s Jenner Institute. Adenoviral vectors are a very well-studied vaccine type, having been used safely in thousands of participants, from 1 week to 90 years of age, in vaccines targeting over 10 different diseases.
  • The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) also pitched for the Oxford vaccine, saying ‘ChAdOX1′ is the frontrunner in the race to take on the deadly COVID-19 virus.

UNICEF teams up with Microsoft for remote learning platform “Learning Passport”

  • Microsoft has partnered with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for expansion of a global learning platform to help children and youth affected by COVID-19 continue their education at home.
  • The platform, called “Learning Passport”, which has been in development for the past 18 months, was due to start as a pilot programme this year.
  • Now, all countries with a curriculum capable of being taught online will be able to facilitate online learning for children and youth with devices at home.
  • The content available to schoolchildren includes online books, videos and additional support for parents of children with learning disabilities.
  • UNICEF’s Learning Passport is uniquely positioned as a scalable learning solution to bridge the digital learning gap for millions of students to bring their classroom into their home during the pandemic.
  • Children and young people continuing their education online can do so through a country-specific platform, accessed via their country’s learningpassport.unicef.org page.

DRDO lab developes 10,000 face shields for PGI, Chandigarh

  • The Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) here is developing 10,000 full face protective shields for examining infected COVID-19 patients for the PGI Hospital.
  • TBRL is a lab of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
  • The TBRL is also acting as a facilitator for the procurement of bio-suits developed by another DRDO lab for use by healthcare service providers.
  • The TBRL is involved in development, production, processing and characterisation of different high explosive compositions, fragmentation studies of warheads, captive flight testing of bombs, missiles and airborne systems and ballistics evaluation of protective system like body armour, vehicle armour and helmets.

 APRIL 23, 2020


HRD Ministry’s online platform ‘Shodhganga‘ to help research scholars

  • In a bid to help research scholars amid the nationwide lockdown, the Human Resource Development Ministry has come up with an online platform Shodhganga for them to access information on these and other study material.
  • The move comes as scholars pursuing higher studies like PhDs and MPhil etc have been hemmed in by lack of research facilities, guides and lectures due to the lockdown.
  • The platform would enable researchers confined to their respective homes to access study material and theses in vernacular languages, Hindi and international languages.
  • As many as 2,69,734 Indian theses and 7,500 synopses have been provided for study and reference on the e-platform.

NBRI develops alcohol-based sanitizer

  • The National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) in Lucknow has developed an alcohol-based herbal sanitizer.
  • The product has been developed under Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR – Aroma Mission as per the World Health Organization”s guidelines.
  • The herbal sanitizer contains Tulsi essential oil as herbal constituent which is strong and natural anti-microbial agent and 60 per cent of isopropyl alcohol for killing germs.
  • Director of NBRI, Dr S.K. Barik said, the herbal hand sanitizer has been clinically tested and found to be highly-effective against surface microbes.
  • Its impact lasts for about 25 minutes and it prevents the skin from dehydrating.
  • The product will be available in the market very soon under the brand name of ”Clean Hand Gel”.
  • The technology of the herbal hand sanitizer has been transferred to Lucknow based company Sadguru Biologicals Private Limited.

Union Cabinet approved Rs 15,000 crore for ‘India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package’

  • The Union Cabinet approved Rs 15,000 crore for what it calls ‘India COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package’.
  • The funds will be utilized in 3 phases while for immediate COVID-19 emergency response, provision of an amount of Rs 7,774 crore has been kept.
  • The rest of the amount will be used for medium-term support for the next 1-4 years, which will be provided under the mission mode approach.
  • The key objectives of the package include mounting emergency response to slow and limit COVID-19 in India through the development of diagnostics and COVID-dedicated treatment facilities.
  • Centralized procurement of essential medical equipment and drugs required for treatment of infected patients, strengthen and build resilient National and State health systems to support prevention and preparedness for future disease outbreaks.
  • Setting up of laboratories and bolster surveillance activities, biosecurity preparedness, pandemic research and proactively engage communities and conduct risk communication activities.

Ordinance to make acts of violence against healthworker a non-bailable offence

  • The Union Cabinet approved an ordinance making acts of violence and harassment against healthcare personnel deployed in combating COVID-19 a non-bailable offence, meeting a key demand of health professionals in the wake of recent attacks on them while discharging their duty.
  • The maximum sentence under the new provision is seven years imprisonment and Rs 5 lakh fine. A person can be sentenced to anywhere between three months and five years of jail, besides a fine between Rs 50,000 and two lakhs, for such crimes.
  • In cases where injuries caused are serious, the punishment will range from six months to seven years, and carry fine between Rs 1 to 5 lakhs.
  • The ordinance will amend the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, and the amended law will also be invoked if health care personnel face harassment from their landlords or neighbours over suspicion that they may carry the coronavirus infection due to the nature of their work.
  • The Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, assault on health workers across the country has now become a non-bailable offence and the punishment can come within a year.
  • This decision brings a change in the epidemic law which has been there since 1897.

Union Cabinet approval to relax Aadhaar seeding in Assam, Meghalaya, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh up to March 31, 2021

  • The Union Cabinet has given its approval to relax the mandatory requirement of Aadhaar seeding of data beneficiaries of Assam, Meghalaya, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh for release of benefits to them under PM-Kisan Scheme up to March 31, 2021.
  • The government says the decision was taken to ensure the eligible beneficiaries do not fail to get the benefits for want of non-compliance of Aadhaar seeding of data.
  • The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme was launched by Modi on February 24 last year.
  • The scheme aims to provide income support to all landholder farmer families across the country with cultivable land, subject to certain exclusions.
  • Under the scheme, an amount of Rs 6,000 annually is released in three 4-monthly installments of Rs 2,000 each, directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. The scheme is effective from December 1, 2018.

Karnataka passed law to punish healthcare warrior’s offenders

  • Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala promulgated an Ordinance to punish offenders of healthcare warriors, fighting the coronavirus pandemic in the southern state.
  • The Governor passed the Karnataka Epidemic Disease Ordinance, 2020 the state cabinet approved to punish all who attack healthcare warriors in the state, including doctors, nurses, paramedics and Asha women workers treating COVID-19 victims across the state.
  • The new law empowers the state government to punish the offenders with a 3-year maximum jail term and attachment of their properties for damaging assets.
  • The cabinet enacted the law a day after unruly mobs attacked doctors, Asha workers and police at Padarayanapura in the city’s south-west suburb when they went to shift secondary contacts of COVID patients to a quarantine centre in the city and similar violent acts on the healthcare warriors in the state.

First instalment for PMGKY beneficiaries released in the state

  • The State panchayat and rural development department released the first instalment of ex-gratia of Rs 500 to each of 8,51,642 beneficiaries.
  • Out of these beneficiaries 7,05,022 are old age pensioners, 1,12,040 are widow pensioners and 34,580 beneficiaries are under the disabled pension scheme.
  • This financial assistance is provided under the special package of the Government of India, rolled out under the Pradhan MantriGaribKalyanYojana (PMGKY) to help the vulnerable section of people in view of the nationwide lockdown.
  • Under this assistance programme, Rs 1,000 each will be paid in two instalments of Rs 500.
  • For this, the beneficiaries of old age pension, widow pension and disabled pension under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) will be covered.

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 APRIL 24, 2020


Assam Govt announces austerity steps

  • Citing an eighty per cent drop in revenue collection in April due to the lockdown, the State Government announced a slew of austerity measures, which included reduction in establishment expenditure, ban on government functions and suspension of industrial exemptions, to “rationalize expenditure and optimize available resources” during the crisis period.
  • The government, however, did not slash the salaries of employees, but has put on hold new projects and will give priority to complete old ones.
  • Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the current fiscal situation was a worry for the State government as the revenue collection for the month of April fell to Rs 193 crore (SGST Rs 68 crore, CGST Rs 61 crore, IGST Rs 62 crore and cess Rs 2 crore) as compared to Rs 932 crore (SGST Rs 406 crore, CGST Rs 276 crore, IGST Rs 193 crore and cess Rs 55 crore) in the corresponding month last year.
  • The revenue collection has dropped by eighty per cent. From tax on foreign liquor, the State got Rs 6 crore in April as compared to Rs 65 crore in March. Similarly, from fuel taxes, the State got Rs 60 crore compared to Rs 360 crore in the previous month.
  • The committed expenses of the State government – which includes salaries, pension and interest on loan – is around Rs 3,600 crore every month.

Some of the austerity measures taken are

  • The Administrative Department cannot implement any new SOPD scheme without the approval of the Finance department. Sanctioning power delegated to the Administrative departments relating to the issuance of administrative approval and financial sanction in respect of SOPD Schemes has been withdrawn until further orders.
  • The Establishment Expenditure for the first quarter of the Financial Year 2020-21 has been capped at 10 per cent of the total budget instead of 20 per cent.
  • All expenses pertaining to industrial exemptions, subsidies and incentives of various sectors have been suspended until further orders. No reimbursement of GST to industries will be allowed in the first quarter of the current financial year.
  • Purchase of vehicles has been banned until further orders, except in case of ambulances and vehicles required for police duty. This will, however, be permitted only with the approval of the Chief Minister.
  • Holding of conferences, workshops, seminars, fairs and functions etc has been totally banned in the first quarter in the physical mode. There will be a ban on holding of meetings and conferences in five star hotels.
  • No executive class will be allowed except in the case of Governor of Assam, Chief Minister, Chief Justice, other Judges of Gauhati High Court and Chief Secretary.
  • No officer will be allowed to attend any foreign training course, workshop, seminar outside India for which expenditure has to be borne by the State Government.
  • Remuneration of Chairman and Vice Chairman of all PSUs/ Corporations/ Boards will be reduced by 25 per cent from May 1.
  • Release of MLA Area Development Fund will remain suspended in the first four months of the current financial year or until further orders.

MHRD launches academic calendar for upper primary stage

  • The Union Human Resource Development Ministry launched an alternative academic calendar for upper primary stage which consists of classes 6 to 8. The calendar has been developed by NCERT under MHRD’s guidance.
  • The calendar contains a week-wise plan consisting of interesting and challenging activities, with reference to theme or chapter taken from syllabus or textbook.
  • MHRD claims that the calendar would map the themes with the learning outcomes.
  • The purpose of mapping of themes with learning outcomes is to facilitate teachers and parents to assess the progress in the learning of children and also to go beyond textbooks.
  • The activities given in the calendar focus on learning outcomes and can thus be achieved through any resource including the textbooks children are using in their state or Union Territories.
  • The calendar also covers experiential learning activities such as Arts, Education, Physical Exercises, yoga, pre-vocational skills, etc.
  • It would include activities related to four languages as subject areas, that is Hindi, English, Urdu and Sanskrit along with link for Chapter wise e-content available on the e-pathshala, NROER and DIKSHA portals of government of India.
  • The calendar however has been designed for four weeks only, but the ministry says it would extend it if needed.

India gifts USD 5 million medical aid to world to combat Covid-19

  • India has gifted USD 5 million worth of medicines and other Covid-19 related supplies to the world so far as countries continue to combat the global pandemic.
  • India has sent five million Hydroxycholorquine (HCQ) tablets to countries in the neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean Rim, Africa, Latin America, Central Asia, Eurasia and Western Asia North Africa regions.
  • The government is also providing 1.32 million paracetamol (PCM) tablets to its neighbouring and other partner countries.
  • India is also providing a big basket of other medical aid which includes essential drugs and life-saving antibiotics; medical consumable; and other equipment for laboratories and hospitals.
  • India has approved commercial consignments of around 285 million HCQ tablets to 40 countries and around 500 million PCM tablets for 60 countries have also been cleared.
  • As part of government’s response to the Covid-19 situation, 11 empowered groups have been set up for an integrated approach.
  • MEA has been playing a key role in the empowered group that deals with ensuring availability of essential medical equipment and supplies.

 APRIL 25, 2020


Rural Development Ministry released Rs 36,000 crore to states in April 2020

  • The Centre has already released more than Rs 36,000 crore to the states/UTs in the current financial year (FY2020-21) for the development schemes of the villages, said Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar.
  • Tomar held a meeting with all the rural development ministers and concerned officials of the states and Union Territories via a video conference and urged them to scale up of the works.
  • Under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Pradhan MantriAwaasYojanaGramin (PMAY-G), Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY) and National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), in the light of the relaxations granted by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in the non-containment areas w.e.f. April 20.
  • The ministry has sanctioned Rs 33,300 crore under MGNREGA out of which Rs 20,225 crore has been released to liquidate all the outstanding dues of previous years towards wages and materials.
  • The said sanctioned amount is sufficient to meet the expenses under MGNREGA till June, 2020.
  • The minister assured the states and UTs that adequate financial resources are available for the rural development programmes.
  • Tomar also urged the states and UTs to proactively start rural development schemes relating to employment generation, infrastructure creation and strengthening of rural livelihoods while taking all necessary Covid-19 related precautions.
  • He emphasised that under MGNREGS, the focus should be on water conservation, water recharge and irrigation work in convergence with the schemes of the Ministry of Jal Shakti and Department of Land Resources.
  • Under PMGSY, the focus should on quick awarding of tenders in sanctioned road projects and starting pending road projects.
  • The contractors, suppliers, workers etc. should be galvanised to quick start the works.

IIT Delhi researchers develop dashboard to predict Covid-19 spread

  • Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi have developed a web-based dashboard to predict the spread of deadly Covid-19 in India.
  • The mobile-friendly dashboard, named as PRACRITI – PRediction and Assessment of CoRona Infections and Transmission in India, gives a detailed state-wise and district-wise predictions of viral cases in the country.
  • The projections are given for a three-week period, which is updated on a weekly basis.
  • The researchers believe that such a platform will be highly useful for healthcare bodies, local and central authorities, to efficiently plan for different future scenarios and resource allocation.
  • A key parameter of interest on Covid-19 is the basic reproduction number R0 and its countrywide variability. R0 refers to the number of people to whom the disease spreads from a single infected person.
  • If an active Covid-19 patient infects two uninfected persons, the R0 is two. Hence, reduction of R0 is the key in controlling and mitigating Covid-19 in India.
  • The model also accounts for the effect of different lockdown scenarios, such as the effect of locking down the district boundaries and implementing different levels of lockdown within a district.
  • These predictions can help the districts and states having higher R0 to take rigorous measures to control the spread of Covid-19, while for those with low R0 they need to sustain measures and remain very vigilant.
  • The predictions in the dashboard are based on a newly-developed mathematical model that divides the population into four classes i.e. susceptible, exposed, infected, and removed.

WHO, global partners join forces to develop COVID-19 technologies

  • The World Health Organization (WHO), together with a group of global partners, launched a groundbreaking collaboration to accelerate both the development and equitable access to new essential technologies for COVID-19.
  • WHO Director-General TedrosAdhanom Ghebreyesus and other global leaders made an unprecedented commitment to work together to accelerate the development, production and equitable distribution of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics for COVID-19.
  • Participants in conference also include leaders from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), GAVI-the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund, UNITAID, the Wellcome Trust, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (IFRC) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
  • The group will seek to implement innovative diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines at record speed and at record scale in a bid to defeat COVID-19.

UNICEF for normal resumption of immunisation in most Assam districts

  • UNICEF expressed hope that the immunisation programme resumes soon in a normal way in most districts of Assam, barring areas classified as ‘red and containment zones’.
  • In many places, children are missing on critical vaccines due to recommendations and requirements around physical distancing and isolation, or due to reduced access to overstretched health services.
  • These circumstances are putting children, especially the most vulnerable, at a risk of outbreaks of other diseases such as measles. Immunisation is vital now, more than ever.
  • UNICEF has advised parents to get children vaccinated as soon as the COVID-19 outbreak is brought under control and routine services resume.
  • While essential doses for institutional deliveries have continued uninterrupted in the State during the lockdown, Assam is among the few states that resumed routine immunisation last week at the sub-centre level.
  • According to UNICEF, immunisation is one of the most effective public health interventions.
  • UNICEF has supported the National Health Mission, Department of Health, Government of Assam, with training of 45,000 ASHA and ANM workers on the COVID-19 outbreak.
  • The training covered issues around safe practices, community surveillance, home quarantine, using a mask, facts and myths, among other aspects.
  • UNICEF works on-ground closely with partners including the Government of Assam, other UN agencies and civil society organisations, to ensure availability of vaccines and their access to children, especially the most vulnerable.

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 APRIL 26, 2020


Assam to allow inter-district movement

  • The Assam government will allow inter-district movement of nearly one lakh people.
  • The steps have been taken to facilitate the stranded people in 33 distrcts across Assam to return home, join offices or visit hospitals while strictly adhering to the lockdown norms, including social distancing and hygiene.
  • Around 50,000 people are expected to use their own vehicles for one-way trip and over 40,000 are likely to be provided free-of-cost public transportation through the Assam State Transport Corporation buses by the state government.
  • The deputy commissioners of respective districts are issuing one-way passes to the people to travel by their vehicles.

Ministry of Home Affairs allows to open standalone shops

  • The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a clarification saying that only standalone shops are allowed to open as per the directive and that the order does not apply to Covid-19 containment zones or liquor stores.
  • In urban areas, all standalone/neighbourhood shops & shops in residential complexes are allowed to open.
  • Shops in markets/market complexes & shopping malls are not allowed to open.
  • The ministry also clarified that sales by ecommerce companies will continue to be restricted to essential goods only.
  • It also cleared that liquor stores will be shut as the relaxations do not apply to them.
  • No shops have been allowed to open in multi-brand or single brand malls.
  • Shops were allowed outside the city limits except those in malls with 50 per cent workforce while wearing of masks has been made compulsory.

Moody’s slashes India growth forecast to 0.2% for 2020

  • Moody’s Investors Service slashed India’s growth forecast to 0.2 per cent for the 2020 calendar year from the earlier projection of 2.5 per cent released in March.
  • Stating that the economic costs of shutdown of the global economy are accumulating rapidly, Moody’s in its Global Macro Outlook 2020-21 (April 2020 Update) projected that all G-20 advanced economies would contract by 5.8 per cent in 2020.
  • Among the emerging economies in G-20, Moody’s projected India to grow at 0.2 per cent in 2020 and 6.2 per cent in 2021. This compares to 5.3 per cent growth clocked in 2019.
  • Late last month, the government had announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore stimulus package comprising free foodgrains and cooking gas to poor and cash dole to poor women and elderly. A second package, aimed at industries, is said to be in works and is likely to be announced shortly.
  • China is projected to grow by 1 per cent in 2020 and 7.1 per cent in 2021, as against 6.1 per cent in 2019.
  • Moody’s in the report titled ‘Global recession is deepening rapidly as restrictions exact high economic cost’, said there are significant downside risks to its growth forecasts in the event that coronavirus pandemic is not contained and lockdowns have to be reinstated.
  • India, China and Indonesia are the only 3 G-20 countries which are projected to grow in 2020, while the others will see a contraction, according to the report.
  • The US economy is projected to contract by 5.7 per cent, the UK by 7 per cent, Italy by 8.2 per cent, Japan by 6.5 per cent and France by 6.3 per cent.
  • Moody’s said the economic costs of the coronavirus crisis amid the near shutdown of the global economy are accumulating rapidly. Even with a gradual recovery, 2021 real GDP in most advanced economies is expected to be below pre-coronavirus levels.

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 to support for environmental protection

  • Earth Day is celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
  • In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco, John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace, to first be celebrated on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere.
  • On Earth Day 2016, the landmark Paris Agreement was signed by 195 nations at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.
  • An Earth Anthem penned by Indian poet-diplomat Abhay Kumar, which has been translated into 50 languages is used by many schools and organizations across the world to celebrate Earth Day.

 APRIL 27, 2020


Governor’s Rule imposed in Bodoland Territorial Council

  • Governor’s Rule has been imposed in the Bodoland Territorial Council. Principal Secretary to the State Government Rajesh Prasad was appointed as Administrator of BTC.
  • The term of the general council of BTC expired on 27th April and elections to the council, which were scheduled for April 4, had earlier been deferred on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • “… whereas the election in BTC was deferred indefinitely… and whereas the Governor of Assam is satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the administration of the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India. Now, therefore, the Governor of Assam, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-paragraph (2) of paragraph 16 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India, is pleased to assume to himself, with immediate effect, the administration of the said districts and all functions and powers vested in or exercisable by the BTC,” stated a notification issued by the Governor.
  • It added the order shall take immediate effect “and shall, unless terminated earlier or extended further, remain in force for a period of six months.”
  • It was announced that the Governor “may appoint a person or authority to discharge the functions and powers of the BTC, including the functions and power exercised by the Executive Committee, Chief Executive Member, Deputy Chief Executive member, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Executive Members.”
  • The Governor has appointed Rajesh Prasad, senior IAS officer and Principal Secretary to the Government of Assam, to exercise all the functions and powers exercisable by the BTC and its Executive Committee, Chief Executive Member and other representatives.

University of Hyderabad start-up wins BIRAC funding for Covid-19 project

  • OncoSeek Bio Pvt Ltd will receive funding support for developing an in vitro Lung Organoid model, from BIRAC which comes under the Union Science and Technology Ministry’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
  • OncoSeek’s project is one of 16 selected so far from the 500 proposals received for the Covid-19 research consortium.
  • Under this grant proposal, the company plans to use their novel platform to screen drugs/peptides/molecules/agents/compounds targeted against the virus or the host cell.
  • It plans to create this capability in the next 6 months.
  • OncoSeek is a start-up incubated at ASPIRE-BioNEST at UoH since 2019, and works on developing in vitro and in vivo platforms for specific diseases for therapeutics screening.
  • BioNEST at the University of Hyderabad is a life sciences incubator, set up with the support of the BIRAC, an enterprise under the DBT, to provide a plug-and-play life science ecosystem of incubation.

Tarun Bajaj to be DEA secretary and Rajesh Verma next MCA secretary

  • The Centre has decided to appoint Tarun Bajaj as the Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), under the Finance Ministry, on AtanuChakrabarty’s retirement on April 30.
  • Bajaj, a 1988 batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre, is the Additional Secretary at Prime Minister’s Office.
  • A Gujarat cadre officer of the 1985 batch, Chakarborty was appointed the DEA Secretary in July 2019 when then Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg was shifted to the Power Ministry.
  • Rajesh Verma as the next Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA). He will take over on retirement of Injeti Srinivas.
  • Srinivas, a 1983 batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, will retire on May 31 after over two-year tenure as the Corporate Affairs Secretary.
  • Verma is the Special Secretary at the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare.
  • AramaneGiridhar, the Additional Secretary at the Cabinet Secretariat, will take over as the Secretary in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways as Sanjeev Ranjan will move to the Ministry of Shipping as its new Secretary.

CBSE Chairperson Anita Karwal appointed as Secretary Department of Education

  • CBSE Chairperson Anita Karwal was appointed as Secretary in the Department of Education and Literacy.
  • The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved Anita’s appointment.
  • The committee has also extended, by three months, service of Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan. A 1983-batch IAS officer from the Andhra Pradesh cadre, Sudan was to retire on April 30.
  • Sudan, who has been working on aligning all departments to execute the Narendra Modi government”s policies to prevent the spread of COVID-19, will continue to function as Secretary in the Department of Health and Family Welfare of MoHFW during the period.

Free zinc, vitamin tablets for Covid-19 field duty officials in Tamil Nadu

  • Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami announced free zinc and multi-vitamin tablets for government officials who are on Covid-19 field duty to boost their immunity.
  • Palaniswami said masks, personal protective equipment are given to officials of revenue, health, police and others who are on Covid-19 field duty.
  • In order to improve their immunity, zinc and multi-vitamin tablets will be provided free of cost for 10 days.

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APRIL 28, 2020


Assam starts implementation of State Policy for Transgenders

Assam State Government has started implementation of the Assam State Policy for Transgenders. Officials of the Social Welfare Department said that from now on, a number of welfare schemes will be come into force for the transgender community under the policy. The policy was a long-pending demand of the transgender community.


India hands over HCQ tablets, emergency medical gear to Bangladesh

  • Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Riva Ganguly Das, handed over emergency medical supplies consisting of one lakh Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) tablets and 50,000 sterile surgical gloves to Bangladesh.
  • The Indian High Commission in Dhaka said that the second tranche of assistance came from the Covid-19 emergency fund which was created at the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his March 15 video conferencing with the leaders of the SAARC countries.
  • Bangladesh Health Minister Zahid Maleque appreciated the continued support of India in providing medical supplies, protective gear and capacity building in the fight against Covid-19.
  • The Indian High Commissioner reiterated India”s continued support to Bangladesh in its fight against Covid-19.
  • The supplies were dispatched to the Central Medical Stores Depot of Bangladesh government.
  • The Covid-19 emergency fund was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his video conference with SAARC leaders on March 15.  It was set up with an initial contribution of $10 million from India.

IIT Madras startup develops smart bin system to prevent COVID-19 spread

  • Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras-incubated Startup Antariksh Waste Ventures has developed an Internet of Things (IoT) enabled smart bin system to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
  • Called AirBin, the system works through waste generated at CVPs (contagion vulnerable points, primarily hospitals, clinics, public bins, quarantine zones).
  • From waste collection, transport, segregation, disposal to recycling, every process needs to be overhauled quickly and technology will play a vital role in this transformation.
  • Timely cleaning of bins will be a key priority while faced with a shortage of labour.
  • The smart bin system can be retrofitted on to existing garbage bins on nearby poles, walls or the bin lids.
  • The objective is to help rural and urban local bodies clear every bin before it overflows and accelerate sustainability.
  • The startup aims to clear waste bins before they overflow by digitising waste management processes.

Kerala students win CODE19 hackathon with virtual classroom project

  • A virtual classroom created by students from Government College of Engineering in Kannur, Kerala, to make learning easier and intuitive in COVID-19 times has won $10,000 (approxRs 7.6 lakh) as winner of the 72-hour online hackathon called CODE19.
  • The hackathon was organised by California-based MotwaniJadeja Foundation this month to find solutions to India”s challenges against the new coronavirus pandemic and the foundation awarded $34,000 in total to various teams from across the country.
  • iClassroom has been created by 19-year-old Abhinand C and 20-year-old Shilpa Rajeev.
  • With iClassroom, students and teachers can interact with each other, clear their doubts, mentor others and conduct online classes.
  • Code19 was held in collaboration with Bengaluru-based HackerEarth. The Association of Designers in India (ADI) helped in providing mentors through its network.
  • The second price worth $5,000 went to TeleVital, a solution for contactless health assessment of a patient created by a 6-student team from Manipal Institute of Technology.
  • The solution records a patient”s heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, etc. without any contact-based measurement tool.
  • Three teams won $3,000 each at third place. The projects were SoloCoin from a team from various colleges across India, led by project lead ArbobMehmood of UPES University, Dehradun; Covid19 Fact Checker created by a team from AISSMS College of Engineering, Pune; and Grape Community, created by Ranjoy Sen, a 35-year-old software professional from Bengaluru.
  • 10 best innovative solutions were awarded $1,000 each.

IIT-Kanpur’s corona killer box that sanitizes every thing

  • Scientists at the IIT-K have come up with a corona killer box that will sanitize all essential commodities that are brought into homes from outside.
  • Vegetables, fruits, sugar, milk, pulses, mobiles, rupees and keys etc. can be sanitized in the box within minutes.
  • The ultraviolet rays released from this can kill the bacteria and viruses in objects within minutes.
  • The sensor-based box also has an alarm which can be set for a specified period of time.
  • This box has several ultraviolet lights, which range between 240 and 260 nanometers. The approximate price of a box is around Rs 5,000.
  • The IIT is contacting companies for its manufacture and large-scale production will naturally reduce the cost of the box.

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Assam Current Affairs – April 15 – 21, 2020

        Current Affairs Assam – April 15 - 21, 2020

( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of April 15 – 21, 2020 )

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April 15, 2020


Manipuri New Year Cheiraoba celebrated in subdued manner, amid covid-19
  • Cheiraoba, the New Year of the Manipuri community, was celebrated in Manipur in a subdued manner amid the ongoing lockdown and subsequent curfew ordered by the State Government to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
  • Reminding that for the Hindu Meiteis, Cheiraoba symbolizes coming of a new year and is celebrated by every household with great enthusiasm and gaiety, the Governor Dr Najma Heptulla said this festival also represents change of guards where old give way to new and rekindles hope for a better life.
  • Exhorting the need to restrict the celebration to observance of ritual prayers in the safety of their homes, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said “let us once again pledge to protect our community and population through our individual and collective responsible action”.

FACTFILE – Sajibu Nongma Pānba or Sajibu Cheiraoba

  • Sajibu Cheiraoba is the lunar new year festival of the people who follow the religion of Sanamahism in the Indian state of Manipur.
  • The name Sajibu Nongma Pānba derives from the Manipuri words: Sajibu – the first month of the year which usually falls during the month of April according to Meitei lunar calendar, Nongma – first date of a Month, Pānba – to be.
  • Similarly, according to the Hindu lunar calendar, the lunar new year is celebrated on the same day as in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and many other Indian states.
  • However, according to the follower of the faith of Sanamahism, Meitei New Year/Sajibu Nongma Panba started during the reign of King Maliya Fambalcha (1359 BC-1329 BC) also known as Koi-Koi. Koikoi ascended the throne at the age of 25 years.
  • From this day, the dating of Meitei calendar (Cheiraoba) known as Mari-Fam was introduced. Hence, 1359 BC will be 25 MF, and 2000 AD will be 3364 MF in Meitei calendar taking the birthday of KOIKOI as 00 MF.

Indian Navy develops Pod for shifting corona patients
  • Indian Navy distributed Air Evacuation Pod, indigenously designed for transferring COVID patients from remote areas.
  • The Navy’s naval aircraft yard at Kochi designed and fabricated an Air Evacuation Stretcher for transfer of Covid patients from remote locations.
  • The manufacturing cost of the pod is Rs 50,000 against imported piece cost of Rs 59 lakhs.
  • The Pod uses aluminum, nitrile rubber and perspex with total weight of 32 kg. It eliminates infection risk to crew and the need of sanitization of aircraft post evacuation.
  • It was designed and developed by Naval Dockyard at Visakhapatnam. The entire setup uses an industrial 6-way radial header to enable one jumbo size oxygen bottle to supply oxygen to six patients concurrently.

DRDL develops kiosk for ‘hands-off’ collection of Covid-19 samples
  • Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, developed a kiosk for healthcare workers to safely collect Covid-19 samples from suspected patients.
  • The COVSACK or COVID Sample Collection Kiosk is the latest addition to a portfolio of products developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to combat Covid-19.
  • The patient walks into the kiosk and a nasal or oral swab is taken by a healthcare professional from outside through the built-in gloves.
  • The unit has been developed by DRDL, in consultation with the doctors of ESIC Hospital, Hyderabad.The kiosk is automatically disinfected without the need for human involvement, making the process free of infection spread.
  • The shielding screen of the kiosk cabin protects the healthcare worker from the aerosols/droplet transmission while taking the sample. This reduces the requirements of PPE change by healthcare workers.
  • After the patient leaves the kiosk, four nozzle sprayers mounted in the kiosk cabin disinfects the empty chamber by spraying disinfectant mist for a period of 70 seconds.

Govt to announce Economic package focussing on SMEs
  • Another set of stimulus measures from the government will have a clear focus on concerns of SME segments that have been hit hard due to Covid-19 outbreak and resultant nationwide lockdown.
  • The Finance Ministry has suggested the PMO to set up a dedicated fund for micro, small and medium enterprises that could be used to provide both interest-free loans to identified industries as well as capital support required to bring enterprises back in business after the lockdown.
  • The MSME fund may also be used to provide interest subvention on loans taken by the sector to reduce their burden and allow some of these labour-intensive segments to operate smoothly.
  • One of the biggest challenge facing the MSMEs due to the lockdown is of eroding cash flow.
  • Other non-fiscal measures in the SME package may focus more on compliance related issues and easing some of the operational conditions including making norms for sourcing from the MSME segment stringent and increasing sourcing the limit of mandatory procurement from the sector. Also to ease the cash flow, the segments dues from state government and PSUs would be asked to be cleared within a specified period of time.
  • The next economic stimulus package that could be bigger than the Rs 1,70,000 crore worth of schemes announced by Finance Minister last month focusing on providing food security to the poor.

DekhoApnaDesh webinar to offer tourism virtually
  • The Union Tourism ministry launched ”DekhoApnaDesh” webinar series to cater for an in-depth information on several destinations and expanse of the culture and heritage of India.
  • The first webinar of a series touches upon the long history of Delhi as it has unfolded. The seminar was titled ” City of Cities – Delhi”s Personal Diary”.
  • The core of the session based itself on tourism awareness and social history. Laced with interesting anecdotes, the session which was conducted by the India City Walks and was attended by 5,546 people registering for it.
  • The series of webinars will be an on-going feature and the Ministry work towards showcasing the diverse and remarkable history and culture of India including its monuments, cuisine, arts, dance forms, natural landscapes, festivals and many other aspects of the rich Indian civilization.

April 16, 2020


Assam receives 50,000 imported PPE kits from China
  • The Assam government imported 50,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits from China for the frontline healthcare workers combating the Covid-19 pandemic in the state.
  • India has ordered 15 million PPE gears besides a few million testing kits from China. This includes orders placed by several state governments and both public and private health sector.
  • China sent a special aircraft carrying 50,000 PPE kits from Guangzhou city. The consignment was received in the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport at Guwahati by Assam’s Health Minister Himanta BiswaSarma.

Union Health Minister holds high level meeting with WHO officials
  • Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan held a high-level meeting through video conferencing with the World Health Organisation (WHO) officials on the measures to combat the coronavirus disease.
  • The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and WHO decided to initiate a systematic engagement of WHO”s national polio surveillance network, and other field staff, for COVID-19 response.
  • The meeting was attended by over 1,000 WHO staff including Polio, Tuberculosis and Neglected tropical diseases (NTD) field staff and other state officials.
  • The strengths of the National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP team) – surveillance, data management, monitoring and supervision, and responding to local situations and challenges – will be utilized to supplement efforts of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Integrated Disease Surveillance program (IDSP) and The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to strengthen Covid-19 surveillance.
  • The NPSP team will also support in sharing information and best practices and help states and districts calibrate their response based on transmission scenarios and local capacities.

Kerala institute develops diagnostic kit for Covid-19
  • The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), has developed a diagnostic test kit (ChitraGeneLAMP-N) which is highly confirmatory for the diagnosis of COVID-19 and detects the N Gene of SARS-CoV-2 using reverse transcriptase loop-mediated amplification of viral nucleic acid (RT-LAMP).
  • Incidentally, this new kit is billed as one of the first few confirmatory diagnostic test for N gene of SARS-CoV-2 using the RT-LAMP technique.
  • According to the institute, this test kit which is highly specific for SARS-CoV-2 N-gene can detect two regions of the gene which will ensure that the test does not fail even if one region of the viral gene undergoes mutation during its current spread.
  • The institute has also developed the specific RNA extraction kits along with GeneLAMP-N test kits and the testing device.
  • The research and development of ChitraGeneLAMP-N was fully funded by Department of Science and Technology, Govt of India.

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April 17, 2020


Green Zone for Tripura if no new case till April 20
  • Tripura, which falls under the Orange Zone on account of its current low coronavirus infection and fatality rate, is likely to get lockdown relaxation in some sectors if there is no new case of COVID-19 till April 20.
  • The State would have been in the Green Zone after completion of the first round of lockdown if no COVID-19 cases were detected.
  • Earlier, two COVID-positive cases were confirmed in the early part of this month but they recovered. At present, Tripura has two containment zones – Gomati and North district – due to the twin cases.
  • There is no Red Zone or coronavirus hotspot in the State so far. The State Government has taken tough measures to implement the ongoing nationwide lockdown.
  • If no positive case is reported in the State by April 20, Tripura will be placed in the Green Zone and get relaxation in some sectors during the second phase of the lockdown, which is scheduled to end on May 3.
  • The State Government has already allowed farmers and tea garden workers to begin their activities with certain restrictions. Some more sectors, including government offices, are likely to be opened by maintaining social distancing and other guidelines.

IIT Guwahati team develops anti-microbial coating for PPE kits
  • A team of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati researchers has successfully developed an anti-microbial spray-based coating for personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as a 3D printed ear guard for use in face masks.
  • The research group has developed an affordable anti-microbial (both anti-viral and anti-bacterial) spray-based coating for PPE kits. It can kill and prevent the spread of microbes once they come in contact with the coated PPE surface.
  • The strategic association of metal nanoparticle cocktail, such as copper, silver and other active ingredients present in the spray acts as an anti-microbial agent. This ensures limited penetration and accumulation of microbial contaminants on PPEs. Thus, the coating has the potential to reduce the risk of secondary infection by limiting transmission of the microbes.
  • It can be sprayed or dip-coated onto any kind of surface, including textiles and other medical devices to get rid of microbial load. This will allow reusability of PPEs and easy containment of the microbes. Our team has developed the prototype of the technology.
  • The PPEs used presently are designed to protect the wearer from infectious microbes and aqueous virus droplets acting as a barrier, but they generally do not have the ability to prevent the spread of microbes as the surface of the fabric allows accumulation of microbes with passage of time.

HAL makes aerosol boxes to protect doctors from Covid-19
  • State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) made aerosol boxes to protect doctors treating coronavirus patients in hospitals across six states.
  • Delivered about 300 aerosol boxes to state-run hospitals in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh to protect their doctors treating Covid patients.
  • The transparent boxes act as an insulator between a doctor and a patient infected with the deadly virus.
  • An aerosol is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in air or another gas. It can be natural or anthropogenic.

Google India launches learning platform on YouTube
  • Google India launched ‘YouTube Learning Destination’ to help student, teachers and parents find useful and high-quality learning content created by education-focused creators on YouTube.
  • It features content in English and Hindi, with Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Marathi and other Indian languages are coming soon.
  • In India, Google has collaborated with FICCI Arise and have so far trained over 250 schools across 23 states in the use of these tools.
  • Google India has also provided training and tips through the ‘Teach from Home’ hub, which is also available in Hindi.
  • Google India has released children’s books from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and ChotaBheem on their reading app Bolo to help kids understand the safety measures to be taken during this COVID-19 outbreak.

WHO welcomes joint efforts with India to fight COVID-19
  • WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has welcomed the world health body’s cooperation with India to leverage strategies that helped the country win its war against polio into the response to COVID-19 outbreak.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it will work with India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to leverage the strategies that helped the country eradicate polio to fight the pandemic.
  • The WHO’s national polio surveillance network will be engaged to strengthen COVID-19 surveillance and its field staff will continue to support immunization and elimination of tuberculosis and other diseases.

April 18, 2020


Tea Estate in Assam must pay wages to workers for lockdown period
  • Allaying apprehensions among the tea garden workers that their wages and other entitlements accrued during the 19-day industry closure due to the lockdown would be deducted in the later working season, State Labour Welfare Minister Sanjay Kishan told that the plantation industry must pay wages and distribute the rations to all its workers notwithstanding the loss the industry has incurred during the 19 days.
  • There is a departmental order in which all employers and managements have been asked to pay wages on due dates and also give the labourers the rations they deserve without any deduction.

Tripura government announces cash assistance for street vendors
  • Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb announced to provide one-time financial assistance of Rs 1000 to 8666 registered street vendors of the state.
  • The decision was taken after the 21-day nationwide lockdown has caused a huge loss to their business.
  • The financial assistance to the vendors will be paid from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and will be directly transferred to their bank accounts.

RBI eases bad-loan rules, cuts reverse repo rate
  • The RBI further eased bad-loan rules, froze dividend payment by lenders and pushed banks to lend more by cutting the reverse repo rate by 25 basis points, as it unveiled a second set of measures to support the economy hit hard by a coronavirus-led slowdown.
  • In a measure that effectively meant that bad loans or non-performing asset (NPA) classification will now happen after 180 days instead of the current policy of 90 days of payment default, the RBI announced an asset status freeze on loans that have been granted moratorium or deferment on interest/principal payment.
  • The moratorium period will not lead to a spurt in NPAs in the system and will allow the borrowers across retail, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and corporates availing the moratorium to access additional funding from banks or non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).
  • RBI cut reverse repurchase rate, a tool to control the money supply, to 3.75 per cent with immediate effect to encourage banks to deploy surplus funds within the system towards lending. This move will discourage banks from parking cash with the RBI and encourage them to lend to the economy.
  • It kept its benchmark repo rate unchanged at 4.40 per cent. The central bank also allowed states to borrow 60 per cent more via ways and means advance facility available and extended the increased limit until September 30.
  • RBI will inject Rs 50,000 crore in a new round of targeted long-term repo operations and asked banks to use the funds availed through this facility to benefit NBFCs and micro-finance institutions among others.

S&P cuts India growth forecast to 1.8 percent
  • S&P Global Ratings has slashed India growth forecast for the current fiscal to 1.8 per cent, from 3.5 per cent estimated earlier, on account of the lockdown to contain Covid-19 pandemic. But it also expects growth to significantly recover to 7.5 per cent in 2021-22 fiscal.
  • S&P has cut India growth forecast to 3.5 per cent for 2020-21 fiscal, from 5.2 per cent projected earlier.
  • It revised Asia-Pacific growth in 2020 to 0.3 per cent with China at 1.2 per cent, India at 1.8 per cent, and Japan at -3.6 per cent.

Other international agencies forecast of India’s growth

  • Other international agencies also reduced India’s growth forecast over the concerns about the fallout of COVID-19 pandemic. Fitch has projected India’s GDP to grow at 2 per cent this fiscal– the slowest since the economy was liberalised 30 years back. International Monetary Fund (IMF) has slashed India’s GDP growth projection to 1.9 per cent in 2020 from 5.8 per cent estimated in January.
  • Similarly, World Bank has estimated India’s economy to grow between 1.5 to 2.8 per cent in the 2020-21 – the worst growth performance since the 1991. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) sees India’s economic growth slipping to 4 per cent in the current fiscal (April 2020 to March 2021).
  • Moody’s Investors Service has also slashed its estimate of India’s GDP growth during the 2020 calendar year to 2.5 per cent.

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April 19, 2020


Central Govt hails Assam, Tripura & 17 other states over COVID-19 cases
  • The central government on Friday hailed Assam, Tripura and 17 other states for registering a higher doubling rate in terms of COVID-19 cases which reflects reduction in increase of this pandemic.
  • 19 States/UTs including Kerala, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Ladakh, Himachal, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Bihar, Odisha, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, UP, Karnataka, J&K, Punjab, Assam, Tripura are presently showing a higher doubling rate, which is better than the national average, which reflects that rate of increase of cases in these places has been reduced to some extent.
  • Till date Assam registered 35 COVID-19 positive cases, Arunachal Pradesh 1, Manipur 2, Meghalaya 9, Mizoram 1 and Tripura registered 2 Covid positive cases.
  • Scientific task forces are evaluating existing approved drugs and repurpose them for COVID-19. CSIR has progressed into an indigenous synthesis of multiple promising anti-viral molecules such as Umifenovir, Favipiravir.

IIT Delhi startup unveils indigenous N95 similar mask at lower price
  • An IIT-Delhi startup has developed an indigenous and cheaper solution ”Kawach” mask, which is similar to N95 masks.
  • It is at par with the N95 mask in effectiveness, but costs just Rs 45 a piece.
  • The ”Kawach” mask, developed by ETEX, is at par with N95 in terms of fitting and engineered filtration layer that could provide up to 98 per cent filtration efficiency.
  • The product efficiency is backed with the strong technical inputs from the core textile team in the Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering.

Hyundai Motor India develops automatic ambu bag actuator prototype
  • India’s second largest car maker Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) will be submitting its third prototype of mechanical ”ambu bag actuator” or an automated ambu bag to the Tamil Nadu government for approval.
  • Ambu bag actuators or a ”bag valve mask” is a manual resuscitator used in medical emergencies, first aid where automatic ventilator is not available.
  • Ventilators are medical devices which take over the work of breathing from a patient who is unable to breathe by delivering air with high concentration of oxygen to their lungs.
  • For patients severely affected by COVID-19, ventilators are critical to ensure continuous oxygen is supplied to overcome respiratory insufficiency.
  • The ambu bag actuator is not a substitute for the automatic ventilators but will come in handy for those who are in need and also when automatic ventilators are not available.

Punjab to go for plasma therapy of Covid-positive police officer
  • The Punjab government is supporting the medical team of S.P.S. Hospital in Ludhiana that has decided to go for plasma therapy of Assistant Commissioner of Police Anil Kohli, who was diagnosed coronavirus positive.
  • The family of the police officer, who is admitted in Ludhiana’s Apollo hospital, has given permission for the therapy, for which the state is coordinating with potential plasma donors.
  • The latest technology will be used in the therapy, which is being arranged by the state’s health advisor and former PGI-Chandigarh Director K.K. Talwar.

April 20, 2020


Tripura government decides to pass students from Class I to Class IX
  • Tripura education minister Ratan Lal Nath said that every student from Class I to IX and XI have been promoted to the next class in view of the coronavirus pandemic
  • He also informed that online or virtual classes for the students of state government schools have also begun.

Assam CM hands over 50,000 masks for tea garden workers in Udalguri
  • Assam CM Sonowal handed over 50,000 masks meant for the tea garden workers of the district, who have already started plucking tea leaves while maintaining social distancing norms.
  • The Chief Minister was there to take stock of the situation arising out of COVID-19 spread, expressed his satisfaction after vising the Sonaigaon Quarantine Centre and said that the State government was taking all pains to end the pandemic in Assam.
  • He hoped that the positive response of people of Assam would surely yield a very positive result and Assam would be declared as a corona-free State very soon

CSIR develops protective suit for healthcare workers
  • The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) constituent lab in Bengaluru has developed and certified overall protective coverall suit for protection of healthcare workers against COVID-19.
  • The polyproplylene spun laminated multi-layered non-woven fabric based coverall has been developed by CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL), along with MAF Clothing Pvt. Ltd.
  • The overall protective coverall suit can be used to ensure the safety of Doctors, Nurses, Paramedical staff and Health Care workers working round the clock on COVID-19 mitigation.
  • The Coveralls have gone through stringent testing at SITRA, Coimbatore and have been qualified for use.
  • CSIR-NAL and MAF have plans to augment the production capacity to about 30,000 units per day within four weeks.

Online data of human resource to fight Covid-19 launched
  • The Centre has launched online data pool of human resource, comprising details of doctors, other healthcare professionals and auxiliary help, to fight Covid-19.
  • The government has created an online data pool of doctors, including AYUSH doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, volunteers from Nehru YuvaKendras, NCC, NSS, PMGKVY and ex-servicemen, for use by the ground level administration at state, district or municipal levels
  • It contains data on state-wise and district-wise availability of human resources, along with contact details of the nodal officers.
  • This database can also be used for services of volunteers for enforcing social distancing at banks, ration shops, mandis and for providing help to elderly, Divyang and orphanages.
  • The courses include basics of Covid, infection prevention and control, use of PPE, quarantine and isolation, management of Covid-19 cases (SARI, ADRS, Septic Shock), laboratory sample collection and testing, ICU care and ventilation management.

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April 21, 2020


Centre releases Rs 46,000 crore from tax pool
  • In an attempt to assist states effectively address situation arising out of Covid-19, the Centre released the April month instalment of states’ share in central taxes amounting to over Rs 46,000 crore. The inter-se share is as per the recommendations of the XV Finance Commission.
  • The money has been released ahead of schedule and as a special dispensation to meet immediate funding needs of the state governments looking to restore economic activity and minimise losses to its citizens due to disruptions caused by lockdowns.
  • While releasing funds to the states, the calculation of net proceeds of shareable taxes has been kept unchanged as per Budget 2020-21.
  • The highest share of central taxes for April has gone to Uttar Pradesh with a net transfer of Rs 8,255.19 crore. This is followed by Bihar at Rs 4,631.96 crore, West Bengal has got Rs 3,461.65 crore while Madhaya Pradesh has got Rs 3,630.60.
  • Goa and Sikkim have got the least from central pool of taxes at Rs 177.72 crore and Rs 178.64 crore respectively.
  • In its interim report for FY21, the 15th Finance Commission has reduced the share of states in the divisible pool of central taxes by one percentage point to 41 per cent, factoring in the conversion of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories.

Odisha approves six projects worth Rs 9,100 crore
  • The Odisha government approved six investment proposals worth Rs 9,100.29 crore.
  • The 22nd High Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) meeting cleared two investment proposals worth Rs 8,850.19 crore with an employment potential of 5,250
  • The HLCA approved the proposal of Dhunseri Ventures for setting up Maleic Anhydride manufacturing unit with annual capacity of 60,000 million tonnes at Paradeep in the Jagatsinghpur district with Rs 1,013.29 crore investment.
  • The proposal of Rungta Mines for expansion of Integrated Steel Plant project from 0.9 million tonnes per annum to 2.85 MTPA, with captive power plant of 385 MW and 1.69 MTPA cement plant (in two phases) at Jharbandh in the Dhenkanal district also got HLCA nod.
  • The proposal of Kashvi International to set up an 1.2 MTPA iron ore beneficiation plant along the 0.6 MTPA iron ore pelletisation plant with an investment of Rs 55.23 crore.
  • The proposal of Purosteel India to set up a unit for tubes and pipes PVD coating, furniture fabrication, finished sheets and profiles, trimes plant for Rs 53.42 crore was also approved.

Telangana’s T-Works develops affordable ventilator
  • T-Works, Telangana government’s hardware incubator and prototyping lab, has developed an affordable mechanical ventilator for emergency use, in collaboration with different start-ups and corporations.
  • The open-source Bag-Valve-Mask (BVM) ventilator, which costs Rs 65,000 to Rs 1 lakh, is expected to come handy if Covid-19 pandemic spreads and can be deployed for worldwide use.
  • It can gauge the tidal volume, breaths per minute, oxygen concentration, minimum residual pressure and other health parameters. The low-cost ventilators can be used by primary health care centres in rural areas and in ambulances.
  • The developers believe such ventilators will be useful at a time when there is world-wide shortage of conventional ventilators, which costs anywhere between Rs 5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh each.
  • The project involved over 20 members of various startups and corporate, including talent deployed by Honeywell and Qualcomm. Apollo Hospitals, Sunshine Hospitals and Prathima Hospitals, IIT Hyderabad, Mouser and GE Healthcare, Specteochem Instruments and others were also part of the project.

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