ASSAM

Chinese scholars hail invite to invest in NE

Scholars in China have cautiously welcomed India’s move to invite limited Chinese investments for the development of its northeastern States by connecting them with Bangladesh’s Chittagong port.

India has unveiled a major plan for the development of its NE States by connecting them with Chittagong port and invited for the first-time limited Chinese investments which were shunned till now due to security concerns in the border areas.

China is promoting Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar (BCIM) as part of its BRI.

The BRI focuses on improving connectivity and cooperation among Asian countries, Africa, China and Europe. The BRI includes the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a project over which India has protested as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

INTERNATIONAL

· Rashida Tlaib set to become 1st Muslim woman in US Congress

She (42-year-old) is the daughter of Palestinian immigrants and won a Democratic primary election to represent Michigan’s 13thdistrict, securing 33.6 percent of the vote.
Tlaib is set to replace John Conyers.
She served in the Michigan state house from 2009 to 2014, and was also the first Muslim womanever elected to the state’s legislature.

· Oscar Academy is adding a New Category for Popular Films

The new Oscar will be awarded for “Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film” and will be introduced this coming year, at the 91st
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars, has added a new category after 17 years to recognise popular films.
The last category to be added was ‘Best AnimatedFeature Film’.

NATIONAL

· Largest museum of US to return 2 ancient sculptures to India

An eighth-century stone sculpture of Goddess Durgaand a third century limestonesculpture ‘Head of a Male Deity‘ will be returned to India by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the largest museum in the US.
The stone sculpture of Durga Mahishasuramardini was donated to the museum in 2015.
The limestone sculpture, donated in 1986, was part of Nagarjunakonda Site Museum’s excavated inventory

· Government introduced four GST amendment Bills

The government introduced four Billsto amend the Goods and Services Tax (GST) laws in order to make the return forms simpler and raise the turnover threshold for availing composition scheme to 1.5 crore.
The four amendment Bills are the Central GST (Amendment) Bill, the Integrated GST (Amendment) Bill, the GST (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill and the Union Territory GST (Amendment) Bill. Initially, the Bill was aimed to help the MSME sector and small traders.

· NSE unveiled new logo at its silver jubilee celebration

The National Stock Exchange(NSE), India’s largest equity bourse, has celebrated its silver jubilee by unveiling its new logo, which is a modern representation of a blooming marigold with red, yellow, orange, and blue hues.
The celebrations were attended by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Union minister Nitin Gadkari, NITI Aayog deputy chairman Rajiv Kumar, and Delhi lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal.
The NSE was inaugurated by Singh in 1994 when he was finance minister.

· Project ‘SWAYAM’ launched By HRD Ministry

‘Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds’ (SWAYAM), aims to provide one integrated platform and portal for online courses.
This course covers all higher education subjects and skill sector courses.
The main objective is to ensure that every student in the country has access to the best quality higher education at the affordable cost.

Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill, 2017

The Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill, 2017 which was moved by Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, was adopted by a voice vote.
The Lok Sabha had passed the bill in December last year.
It aimed to amend the regulations governing the compensation payable for acquisition of immovable property by the Centre for defence and security purposes.

· Govt to provide discount of Rs. 15 per kg on pulses for poor

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) decided to provide a discount of ₹15/kg on pulses, over the wholesale market price, to States for distribution under welfare schemes like mid-day meal, Public Distribution System (PDS), and Integrated Child Development Programmes (ICDP).
States and Union Territories will be offered to lift 34.88 lakh tonnes of Tur, Chana, Masoor, Moong and Uradat the discount of ₹15/kg over the prevailing wholesale market price on a first-come-first-serve basis.
The Government will spend ₹5,237 crorefor implementing this scheme.

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