ASSAM

Assam records marginal dip in infant mortality rate

The state, which is struggling to bring down its high infant mortality rate, has recorded a decline by three points from 47 per 1,000 live births in 2015 to 44 per 1,000 live births in 2016. However, it continues to remain among the bottom five.

According to the just-released SRS bulletin for 2016, India has registered a significant decline in IMR by three points (8% decline) from 37 per 1,000 live births in 2015 to 34 in 2016. Madhya Pradesh is at the bottom with 47 per 1,000 live births followed by Assam and Odisha, both with 44 per 1,000 live births. Uttar Pradesh is at fourth last spot (43) below Rajasthan (41).

The state’s birth rate has also come down from 22 in 2015 to 21.7 in 2016. The country as a whole also recorded a major drop in birth cohort, which has, for the first time, come down to below 25 million. According to the SRS bulletin, the gender gap in India for child survival is reducing steadily.

The gender difference between male and female IMR has now reduced to <10%, giving a major boost to the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ scheme of the government. According to the bulletin, all states, except Uttarakhand, have reported decline in IMR in comparison to 2015. The decline is reported as four points in Bihar, 3 points in Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand and two points in Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Rajasthan.

INTERNATIONAL

Michael Jordan becomes the world’s highest-paid athlete of all time

In the latest list released by Forbes, Michael Jordan has been named as the highest-paid athletes of all time.

Meanwhile, former world number one golfer Tiger Woods is standing at the second spot, with an eye-popping $1.7 billion pretax.

· Sri Lanka becomes 163rd nation to accede to landmine ban treaty

Sri Lanka becomes the 163rd nation to accede to the anti-personnel mine ban convention, fulfilling the pledge it made last year to join the international community in supporting the ongoing landmine clearance programme, the foreign ministry. The Ministry Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction, commonly referred to as the Mine Ban Treaty or Ottawa Treaty, was adopted on September 18, 1997, at the Diplomatic Conference on an International Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Land Mines at Oslo, Norway.

According to the report by Nobel Prize-winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines, last year 8,605 mine or explosive remnants of war casualties were reported, in which at least 2,089 people were killed.

· Norway Becomes First Nation to Shut National Broadcasts on FM

Norway became the world’s first country to shut down national broadcasts of its FM network by completing its transition to digital radio.
The transition will allow for better sound quality, a greater number of channels and more functions, at a cost eight times lower than FM radio.
The transition concerns only national radio channels.

NATIONAL

MHA releases Rs 174 crore to six states for border development

The Home Ministry has released Rs 174 crore to six states having an international border for development of infrastructure in forward areas.

The states that will be benefited under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) are Assam, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

· Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu to inaugurate World Telugu Conference

Telangana government under the leadership of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is gearing up for the five- day long mega literary festival of World Telugu Conference beginning from tomorrow.
For the first time after the bifurcation of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, the international convection is being organized at Hyderabad.
Around 8,000 delegates and 250 cultural organizations across the globe would be participating in the five-day long Conference at LB Stadium.
The amount of Rs 50 crore has already been sanctioned by the Telangana government.

· Union Government to set up 12 Special Courts to deal with cases against tainted lawmakers

The Union Government framed a scheme to set up 12 Special Courtsfor a year to fast-track the trial of criminal cases against 1,581 MPs and MLAs.

The initially, 12 courts would be constituted.

Two special courts will handle cases against 228 MPs and remain 10 courts will be set up in 10 states.

· Winter Session of Parliament Begins

The winter session of Parliament begins with Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging all political parties to extend co-operation for smooth conduct and pressing for a “national consensus” on the issue of simultaneous elections in the country.
This year’s Winter Session of the Parliament will end on 5th January 2018 has only 14 proposed sittings. As per government data available, 14 sittings is the lowest for any winter session since 1999.

· Go Fearless Mumbai Metro passengers: SecuCare safety app

Mumbai Metro launched a new security app ‘Secucare’,which can be downloaded on Android and IOS platforms, for raising an alarm to ensure passengers’ safety.
Through the app, commuters can raise an alarm in case of any problem.
The control room will be alerted once the alarm is raised. The security personnel in the control room will be able to track the exact location of the passenger through the application.

Lucknow’s Jitesh Singh Deo wins Mr. India World 2017 title

Jitesh Singh Deo from Lucknow has bagged the Mr. India World 2017 title. He will represent India at the Mr World competition.

Prathamesh Maulingkar, a model and entrepreneur from Goa, won the Mr India Supranatural 2017 title.

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15.12.17 APSC (Assam) Current Affairs